Does it feel like time is fragile with your loved one? We do too. The truth is, none of us know how much or little time we have left with one another. For our Season 1 finale, we don’t just go deep, we go to THERAPY with our friend, Stephanie March. (We highly encourage you to take a read through her popular substack, Pickle.)

Stephanie shares her story - and her personal journey - of saying goodbye to her mother Brigitte, who we all called Oma, who was diagnosed with a terminal illness and given six months to live. This is not an episode of fear or despair, but rather of light, love, the little things - and being brave enough to truly celebrate the time we have! We also touch on leading our children through the loss of a loved one and why we are all a part of ‘The long goodbye’.

Grab your Kleenex and come laugh and cry with us through this episode! It’s a journey you won’t forget!

Takeaways:

Whether we are caregiving for aging parents or facing a terminal illness, how can we celebrate the time we have?

It’s the small things in life that matter the most in the end.

How can we practice staying present and having connection through aging or a terminal diagnosis?

Death merch is a very cool thing.

Death nesting is also a very real part of the process.

Are we all in ‘The Long Goodbye?’

Legacy is about carrying forward the stories and values of those we love.

How do we raise our kids to learn about death and loss when we’re sandwiched?

Continuing the celebration at a memorial - in a fun way.

Links + Resources:

Subscribe to Pickle by Stephanie March on Substack.

Chapters

00:00 Season Finale Intro

02:40 The Story of Brigitte von Haken and her final gift

08:19 Facing Terminal Illness with Grace

13:35 Death Merch

15:50 Carrying out your loved one's wishes - even when they're not your own

16:21 Navigating Death and DNR Conversations

18:38 Honoring a Mother's Legacy

23:01 Celebrating the time we have - What matters most?

31:45 Guiding our children through aging and death when we're in The Sandwich Generation

42:42 The long goodbye to the final goodbye

57:25 Let the Celebration continue - Planning the Memorial in a *cool* way

01:03:20 The After-Party Crash of Death Burnout for Caregivers

01:06:13 Change + Living Life to the fullest - because we are ALL in The Long Goodbye

01:09:50 The Gift of Being Yourself

01:10:23 Rapid Fire Questions with Stephanie March

01:13:05 Cheers to Season 1 and Oma: Simplex Munditiis!

01:13:46 Reflections on the Journey and Future Aspirations

01:14:58 Outro

We can all relate to the chaos of the holiday season and when you’re in The Sandwich Generation, things can feel…extra tricky. You’re packing up the strollers, the walkers and packing diaper bags for both the young and old - ah! Yes! The Holidays! In this episode, hosts Eliesa Johnson and Robyn Frank talk about the hilarious predicaments of the holiday logistics when you’re caregiving, along with generational and religious differences, sentimental holiday traditions and even a visit from Santa! You heard right - Santa. We will also leave you with some tips and tricks that we can all use as we approach this holiday season! Yes - it’s an episode for us all!

Takeaways

• Things feel mighty tricky during the holidays when you’re Sandwiched!
• There are a lot of logistics, diaper bags, walkers and snacks packed for everyone.
• Emotions run high during holiday gatherings.
• The torch has been passed - and now it is our time to carry on or start new traditions.
• Consider hosting your holiday early - when the kids and grandparents' energy levels are the best - or before the sugar crash.
• Outsource that shit! The meal, the shopping, whatever you need to do!
• Happy Holidays - I’m setting boundaries this year!
• All that matters is our time together.
• What would you add to our holiday survival guide?

Chapters

00:00 The Holiday Chaos when you're in The Sandwich Generation

04:22 Robyn's Real Life Hallmark Story of Chrismukkah

08:18 Nostalgia and the Holidays - How did our parents do it all?

10:51 Eliesa's Christmas Tradition: Being Santa and the Elf

11:35 The Santa Legacy

16:47 Passing the Torch: When a new generation leads the Holiday

20:54 HO HO HO! A visit from SANTA!

25:37 Incorporating Parents in Holiday Celebrations

26:24 The Sandwich Generation Holiday Survival Tips!

35:09 Segment: To Laugh or Cry

37:34 Continued: The Sandwich Generation Holiday Survival Tips!

For caregivers who have watched a loved one decline from the terrible diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Cancer; the question is often asked, “Will this happen to me? Is there anything I can do to prevent this?” If you are in The Sandwich Generation, you also know that finding time for self care is hard (See Episode 4: Self Care is a SCAM!). Suddenly we see ourselves shifting - we are setting our vanity aside and health and wellness have become about preserving our bodies and MINDS for aging - and living in the now! In this episode we welcome Rachel Daugherty of BootyandBrains.co who has built something truly remarkable and made the internet buzz about - gasp - brain health! She’s a sandwiched parent who has ushered her own mother through a fraught battle with Alzheimer's - and built us all a resource on both educating and empowering our bodies and minds! Rachel is inspiring hundreds of thousands of people and we are lucky to have her with us today!

Links and Resources:

@bootyandbrains.co - Follow Rachel, her knowledge and hilarity here on her instagram account!

BootyandBrains.co - Sign up for Rachel’s class. A clear guided path to reducing your risk of Alzheimer's by building sustainable daily habits.

Momentous - A Rachel-endorsed brand for Creatine and Fish Oil supplements. (Code B&B for 20% off)

Only 3% of Alzheimer's cases are based exclusively on genetics. See the study here.

Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care Article - Read all about it here.

Research and Progress from The Alzheimer’s Association

Takeaways

It's not just about working out for vanity’s sake anymore; it's about holistic, long term health.

Caregiving changes our perspective on our own health.

Alzheimer's prevention is largely about lifestyle choices.

Just because Alzheimer’s affected your loved one, doesn’t automatically mean it will happen to you.

We can make small changes - in our diet and movement - that make a big impact on our health overall and play a part in Alzheimer’s prevention.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Rachel Daugherty of BootyandBrains.co

02:03 Rachel's Personal Journey with Caregiving and Alzheimer's

08:14 Building a Business out of grief - and one that impacts everyone

14:34 Our brains, our bodies and the science behind Alzheimer's prevention

29:04 The boring basics of self care that make a BIG difference

31:35 There is hope in Alzheimer's prevention

34:26 How being a caregiver gives you perspective on your own health

39:39 Giving your body 'equipment' for aging

42:05 "My health is bigger than me" - Talking to your kids about brain health and o