Tackling raw and heart-wrenching topics, this true to life tale is vivid, unfiltered and quite relatable. It will pull the reader in with an honest look at this sometimes difficult stage for a family. Messy and painful, this story doesn't shy away from the fact that giving of yourself fully and true love can sometimes be different than what we thought they were. Readers will feel a kinship with its characters and find comfort in the story. This well told, engaging and informative accounting will not only have you learn how to survive the Sandwich Generation, it will have you turning the page to see what happens next. With humor and honesty this story has characters that will come right out of the book. Even though names were changed it is a real life accounting of what happened as the author took on the task of trying to survive the Sandwich Generation.
If caring for your elderly parents has you feeling overwhelmed, overworked, and under appreciated yet you're left feeling guilty about it. This book is for you!
Caring for aging parents is hard. If you feel like you're alone and no one understands what your going through you're not. This cautionary tale will have you see that even when life gets completely turned upside down it's possible to stand on your own two feet again. I spent ten years caring for my aging parents in my home. Constantly surprised by the obstacles I faced I learned the hard way what needed to be changed. With tips and lessons learned this book will help you through your journey, letting you make better choices so you can survive too.
You'll laugh and cry as I take you on my journey of struggle, triumph and love. Elderly parents showing up in their underwear, horse heads believed to be delivered by the Mafia, nearly drowning in two feet of water...and you thought your family was weird. Well these are just a few examples of the crazy things I found myself dealing with. After finding out that my father was suffering from Alzheimer's, my husband and I decided to take my parents in to live with us and our three daughters. Our marriage and life up until this point had been like a dream, but soon, the new challenges brought on by life's changes coupled with the strain of my husband being away for his work began to wear on me. With little time for myself and trying to be the best mom, wife and daughter I could be I felt as if I was failing. Watching not only my father but also my marriage slowly decline, I found myself feeling more than a little overwhelmed. I felt alone and dsperate. Still, I managed to hang on and keep loving, and laughing, to help my family be the best it could be. I finally learned I could endure and even thrive. This brought insights I knew I had to share. Though I had no idea what sacrafices I would make and how strange things would become when three generations collided, with humor and attempted grace--and with the help of my loving husband and new friend Fiona--I was able to handle the life that was dealt to me and to learn that sometimes, it's okay to put yourself first.
About the Author: Tricia Van Buiten is a mother of three girls, a wife, and a doting daughter herself. More Hands to Hold: How I Survived the Sandwich Generation is her first novel, which is based on the ten years that she lived with her children, husband, and parents and experienced a new trend in today's nontraditional family dynamics: raising one's children while simultaneously taking care of an aging mother or father. She currently lives happily with her husband in Connecticut.
Van Buiten has a BS in Recreation Therapy (CTRS) with a focus in psychology and started her career as a recreational therapist in a nursing home Alzheimer's unit. Changing her scope she worked in the psychiatric unit of Walter Reed Army Medical Center as a group counselor. Moving to Connecticut to be with her husband, she found a position at a private psychiatric hospital for the next eight years as an individual therapist, a treatment planner and facilitator, and family counselor giving her an understanding of human behavior and the ability to analyze why we do the things we do. Although enjoying a successful and fulfilling career she choose to leave it all behind to become a stay at home mom. Now that her children are grown she enjoys answering questions, giving advice and helping others maneuver their way through raising children and caring for parents. Visit her at www.triciavanbuiten.com
