Penned by: Chelsea
Friends, family, listeners and those bold enough to be here -
We just launched a NEW episode (#4 of Season 2: Caregiving as a Radical Act of Legacy) and this - a raw 33 minutes between friends – gave us an excuse to discuss the complex emotional experience of caring for an aging parent – or really, anyone you love. In particular, we dedicate this episode to my dad.
What to Expect in This Episode
We'd love for you to join us in this episode, as we travel, heart-first (with ugly tears; true giggles; et al), through:
🟣 What it feels like to care for someone who's no longer how you knew them to be
🟣 Living fully vs. being alive
🟣 How legacies can become intertwined;
🟣 The art of finding and noticing joy inside what IS; and
🟣 Love, at the heart of it all
The Backstory:
From Chelsea
Last spring, about a month or so before Tamatha and I recorded Season 2, as we were planning what we most wanted this season’s time capsule to hold, it came to me: what if we did an episode on caregiving? In general: for anyone who has been called to step up to that plate (or knows they likely will be in the future), but centered around my experience becoming a caregiver to my sweet Dad, Johnny (around the time we recorded Season 1).
Why Listen to This Episode?
In the episode, we talk about different kinds of death -- that of expectations, and of one reality, to which we've grown accustomed – and about what fills their place once they no longer hold true.
And we talk about L O V E –
🟣 Of mine for my (truly) darling dad, whose life's circumstances turned his world - and then mine - upside down, to present me with the gift of living how I want to remembered, in my greatest opportunity yet;
🟣 Perhaps of yours, for the people in your life who present you similar opportunities to live your legacy, now;
🟣 And also mine (and maybe yours!!) for Tamatha, who models in this episode how to hold double-space for vulnerable conversations, until the person in the seat beside her feels strong enough to hold their own. This time, that was me.
I hope you'll give this, and us, a listen - and leave a review to tell us how it lands for you. (We love love love to read those, and know that it helps others pick where to enter, too). From the bottom of my heart (and Tamatha's!), thank you for listening and sharing Grand Exit with the folks in your life who may find meaning in it.
Without further ado, when you find 30 minutes or so, come on in to Caregiving as a Radical Act of Legacy, live now wherever you get your podcasts 🚪
With gratitude for NOW,
Tamatha and Chelsea
P.S. For this episode, extra-special thanks to:
🟩 My dad, who will probably not listen to this episode, but who celebrates the self-expression that made it happen;
🟩 My sibling, Court; my husband, Peter; and my momma, Tammi, for being the co-care team my dad and I could not live without;
🟩 Jay, my dad's (incredible) buddy who shares in adventures with him every week. Jay: you are an angel, and we adore you;
🟩 Dr. Aaron Greenstein; Dr. Benjamin Alderfer and his team at Adventist Hospital in Denver; Regina Bedoya and Jennifer Weiss; and the incredible leaders of their respective trades who have guided our family through the toughest of times; and
🟩 My best friend Lisa Kass Bour who was (and is) always one messy phone call -- filled with wisdom, advice and love -- away, through everything.
P.P.S. Let’s keep the conversation going:
🟩 Subscribe to Grand Exit for updates on new episodes.
🟩 Leave a review to share your thoughts and help others find the podcast.
🟩 Follow us on Instagram: @grand.exit for behind-the-scenes updates and clips.
🟩 Share your favorite episodes with friends, family, and anyone who would appreciate the themes we explore.