I am very proud to say I had a very normal/boring upbringing. Normal and boring is actually a good thing, right?
I was born and raised on the north side of Chicago to 2 amazing, amazing parents – Rose and Paul. My mom was the sweetest most caring mom anyone could ask for. And my dad, well, he was just the best. He was always praising his kids and making us feel good about ourselves. My sister, Cindy is almost 4 years older than me. A four year difference back then was an eternity, but now, that gap has closed and we’re best friends.
Met my husband, Sandy, while we were attending separate high schools so I guess that still makes us “high school sweethearts”. Sandy chose University of Iowa for their film program, while I attended University of Illinois to pursue an advertising degree. So, yes, we had a long distance relationship for 4 long years. And, back then there were no cell phones. We did something called…write letters. That’s where you take out a piece of paper, use a pen, write down your thoughts, affix a stamp, address envelope and drop in a mailbox.
We married as soon as I graduated college and started off on that crazy journey they call marriage at the ripe age of 22. Things were going pretty typical – working hard at both of our careers – when things took a sudden and sad turn. My mother got ill and passed away when I was only 23 years old.
My sister was still living in Chicago at that time and had a 3 month old son. Sandy and I took on the primary task of focusing on my dad. Although we were still in the “newlywed” stage of our lives, we had to navigate the perils of helping my dad who had his own health issues. Don’t get me wrong, I was blessed to be able to be there for my dad. I just had visions of us traveling around Europe and wine tasting in Napa at that point but life had other plans.
My sister moved to LA and a few years later, Sandy and I started our family with a beautiful daughter and son.
Queue the dramatic violin music …this is when I officially became a member of the “Sandwich Generation”.
From 1992 to 2009, I played the role of wife, mom, full time advertising executive, sister and daughter. I just coasted from one day to the next toggling between helping my dad and helping my 2 kids – with no instruction manual. I went from the diaper aisle at Target to the Depends aisle. Where was that “Sandwich Generation For Dummies” manual when I needed it? But if you’re reading this, I assume you’re nodding your head and getting all of this.
You’ve heard of the term “trial by fire”? I think I invented it. I made it all up on the fly so that my kids could also have the most normal/boring upbringing and my dad could receive the best care possible.
Don’t know what I’d do without my husband of the past 33 years. I’m surprised we’re still sane and as happy as the day we met almost 40 years ago.
So, that’s me. Happily married with 2 wonderful children dealing with a bunch of speed bumps along the way. I hope you can benefit from some of my stories and what I’ve learned being a part of one of the most selfless generations of all time.
Welcome to Club Sandwiched.