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Metro Parent Essay: Becoming Grandma
“Grandparents are there to help the child get into mischief they haven’t thought of yet.” ~Gene Perret Our new grandson, William George, was born in December 2019. Before he arrived, I wrote an essay for Metro Parent, reflecting on my hopes and dreams, what it means to be a good grandparent. You can read it here. ~Cindy La Ferle
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Preparing for the empty nest: An essay about letting go
“It is not what you do for your children; it’s what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings.” ~Ann Landers As I post this, a good friend is on the expressway, driving her only daughter to start her first week of college in another state. I’m reminded of an essay I wrote a few weeks later after I settled into my newly emptied nest. The piece was first published in Metro Parent magazine, and later republished in Guideposts. To read it online, click here. Today our son is a married man with a family of his own — yet the topic of launching our kids to adulthood…
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Spring break for moms
“By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacationless class.” ~Anne Morrow Lindbergh Few people need a spring vacation more than caregivers and moms with young kids. In Metro Parent, I share a memory of my visit to Captiva Island, where Anne Morrow Lindbergh wrote her classic seaside meditation, Gift from the Sea — a book that has resonated with meaning throughout the parenting and caregiving stages of my life. You can read the essay online here. Photo by Cindy La Ferle
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The dog who rescued me
“Dogs have the ability to forgive, let go of the past, and live each day joyously. It’s something the rest of us strive for.” ~Jennifer Skiff, The Divinity of Dogs While many of my newly retired peers are hitting the road in search of new adventures, I’ve been sticking closer to home, enjoying life as a late-blooming dog owner. This still comes as a surprise to longtime friends who’ve always pegged me as “a cat person.” But current research shows that dog ownership can add a few more healthy years to our lives. Click here to read my essay in Metro Parent’s Guide to Helping Your Aging Parents.
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Helping Your Aging Parents: “Moving Mom”
“There are only four kind of people in the world. Those who have been caregivers. Those who are currently caregivers. Those who will be caregivers, and those who will need a caregiver.” ~Rosalyn Carter The decision to move an elderly parent to a nursing home or an assisted living residence is never easy. I wrote about the experience with my own mother for Metro Parent magazine’s Guide to Helping Your Aging Parents. You can read it here. Photo above: My mother dressed for her senior prom in the 1940s.
