Hi! How are you?

We're trying to make the most of these final weeks of summer by being outside more. We went swimming this week at the pool in my mom's new apartment complex, and tonight had a picnic with friends. My kids have loved listening to the evening crickets.

I want big things in life: travel, adventure, new experiences. But I also know that the pressure of helping my mom while raising two little kids and holding down a job is putting some of that on hold. Still, when I listen to the crickets with my kids, for a while, I feel deep joy. I hope you find your own small or large joys as summer winds down, too.

Jenna

Articles of the week:

• ​AI is accelerating elder fraud. Their kids are reckoning with the fallout - USA Today. If there's one takeaway from this article, it's to talk about fraud with your aging loved ones, including how common it is and what scams tend to look like. There are also several helpful tools and tips for avoiding this disgustingly common issue aimed at older people.
• ​These 4 homeowners built tiny homes in their yards to be better caregivers for their loved ones - Business Insider. This is something I think about a lot. Long term, besides caring for my mom, we also want to prepare for supporting my husband's mom. She's still healthy and very independent, but he is her only living kid. I don't know how to make all of this work, but do feel that an ADU, or some other sort of multigenerational living situation, is something that could benefit everyone. What are your thoughts on this trend?

Quote of the week:

My mom has a way of being unhappy with things even when I, or others, have truly tried our best, and for a long time I took that as a sign that I was somehow lacking. As someone who was raised to be a people-pleasing girl and woman, it's hard for me to remember that my happiness counts just as much.

I don't want to sacrifice my happiness in a never-ending attempt to make everyone else comfortable. My happiness matters, yours matters, and we can still take care of the people we love without completely losing ourselves along the way.

Have your own Sandwich Generation story this week? Just hit reply, I'd love to hear it.