Sandwiched
Want a great tip for how to not only survive, but also thrive in the sandwich generation? Get together often with close friends. No, not just once or twice a year – I’m talking once a month or more.
One of my greatest blessings in the world is a group of friends we call Our Gang. My husband John and I have known this mix of awesome people for over 20 years now. One couple has been friends of mine since college.
This group used to get together sporadically for dinner and board games starting in the mid to late 90s. Then one brilliant friend, Cindy, suggested in late 2005 that we all get together regularly on the third Saturday of the month. And Our Gang was officially born. We even have our own T-shirts!
We’ve modified this schedule since one couple moved away from Central Indiana years ago. We now take an annual trip over a long weekend in the summer to an in-between location such as Tennessee or Missouri.
We have an absolute blast each month with our get-togethers. I look forward to them and try to never miss them, knowing that my sides and face will probably hurt from all the laughter we share. We are, of course, an absolutely hilarious group – just ask us, we’ll tell you.
The laughter alone is great therapy for my sometimes weary soul as I navigate the highs and lows of being in the sandwich generation. But we’re don’t just always have fun in Our Gang. We also share our struggles, especially with our elderly parents.
One friend’s father is battling ALS right now. He often goes down to Florida to help his father and stepmother. Another took care of her mother when she got cancer years ago. Sadly, her mother passed away.
We’ve stood beside our friends who have lost a parent in one way or another over these past few decades. Unfortunately, all of us have lost at least one parent while others have lost both their mother and their father.
Sometimes we find the best way to deal with these ups and downs is by sharing our memories, stories and more laughter. It’s not uncommon for someone to ask, “How’s your mom?” or “How’s your dad doing?” each month. More often than not one of us will share something and see other Our Gang members nodding their heads in understanding.
Funnier stories of our parents giving us hot flashes thanks to thermostats set at 80 degrees or their complete lack of technology know-how (Saturday Night Live’s Amazon Echo Silver, anyone?) often give us much-needed comic relief. It’s good to know we’re not alone on this journey full of unexpected twists and turns.
As we wrap up this Thanksgiving week, I want to give a shout out to one of the things I’m most grateful for – Our Gang. I hope with all my heart, dear readers, that you have a similar group of friends to share your life with. They truly make everything better.