I'm a Dagwood

It has been awhile since I last put finger to keyboard. This pause has been much longer than I had anticipated. Life has been busy and hasn’t left me with any time to write. But, words have been busily buzzing around my head and now its time to put them where they belong and once again I will try to blog my thoughts on a more consistent basis.

I am a Dagwood. That is, I belong to the sandwich generation. Not a simple ham and cheese but a Dagwood. Let me explain to those of you who don’t understand my analogy. If you grew up in the 50’s and 60’s, a Dagwood sandwich was three or four slices of bread and anything else you could find in the frig or cupboard to put between them.

My Dad loved lunch on Saturday when my Mom would lay out the varied selection of breads, lettuce, cold cuts, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, pickles, cheese, peanut butter and condiments. He would build a new and different layered sandwich each time. Oh, did I mention the sardines?? How could I forget the smell?? They never went on my sandwich but that was the “piece de resistance” for my DAD.

Well, the last few months I have felt like that favorite Dagwood of my Dad’s. With the changing economy, renovations on our home, one son moving far away and another back to the nest, old loves lost and new loves to celebrate, new schools to go to and careers to build, birthdays to celebrate and visits to the senior members of the family I have had a Dagwood experience.

The sandwich generation has the responsibilities of maturing teenagers or young adults and responsibilities of aging parents as well as their own lives to manage. Most of the time I find it is a rewarding experience. I think we grow when we help others grow through their challenges. Occasionally, a smelly sardine can make the challenges a little more than what I anticipated (bargained for). At the end of the day, I do my best and find a way to balance everything and keep life in perspective.

I t’s during these times that I sequester myself to my favorite chair, a cup of tea and a good book or magazine for a few moments to refresh myself.
I have found that I need these moments even more during the busy days to keep my disposition positive. If you have a moment now, would you please join me. The busy-ness will wait for a few minutes and the people you are likely to encounter today will be glad you took the time. Sometimes, being a good hostess has to start with being good to ourselves. It’s a habit worth developing.

As I savor my cup of tea and reflect on the activities of the last few weeks, I also, savor the moments spent with those I love. I hope this will inspire you to take your favorite teacup out of the cupboard and treat yourself like a dear guest.