Surprise!

Are you surprised to get another AgeWiseLiving newsletter so soon? Well, I've decided to make my monthly newsletter into a weekly one. There's just too much going on to send out a newsletter only once a month so check your in-box every Thursday.

I now have my very first Age Wise Living radio show under my belt! From all reports, it went very well. (I'm no good at judging my own performance!) If you missed it, you can still hear it at http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=38179. And, since this is a weekly show, I hope you will put 10a Eastern/7a Pacific time in your calendar to listen live! This coming Tuesday's topic will be all about how to break the code so you can successfully communicate with your aging parents. Then, once we've looked at how to communicate successfully, I'll start doing interviews with a broad variety of experts. (No point in talking about what to do before you learn how to do it!)

BTW -- Do you have any suggestions for Age Wise Living show topics? Did you listen to the show and have some comments, questions, suggestions? Just want to say hi? Please do email me at Barbara@AgeWiseLiving.com or through the link below. I'd love to hear from you.

With Mother's Day coming up this Sunday, this week's article has an important message for YOU. Please do read on.

Till next week, I'll look forward to seeing you on the radio on Tuesday.

Happy Mother's Day,

ARTICLE: PUT YOURSELF IN THE PICTURE

Yesterday I was watching a woman standing next to me in a card store buying a stack of Mother's Day cards. She carefully selected cards for her mother, her mother-in-law, her daughter, and her granddaughter.

Had she left anyone out?! I said, "I hope you're going to get lots of cards and candy and flowers, too." She said, "No, there won't be time. We're going to be spending the day visiting my mother and my mother-in-law. We really won't have time." "How sad," I thought. "No time to properly celebrate her special day too."

When I left the store I couldn't stop thinking about her. Then I thought about many of my friends (and, yes, me, too) who do the same thing! For others we buy cards, candy, flowers, candles, make special dinners using our best china. We feel there can be no effort too big when giving to others. But would we do that for ourselves? I don't know about you, but I know I don't. It was yet another example of how we give freely of ourselves to others and all too often, how little we do for ourselves.

When we see others doing this we might feel sad for them -- maybe our strong desire to help asks; "How could I help them put themselves in the cared-for picture?" Yet, while it is sad, it is not exactly newsworthy. But is a very big deal if you are an eldercare provider. If you don't take care of yourself, you won't be able to take care of anyone else.

These days an elder caregiver could devote as much as 20 years to an aging loved one. By acknowledging you need loving care as much as the loved one, you can find ways to "put yourself in the picture." And when you do, you will also be giving to your loved ones.

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