It’s unconditional. Yet, at times being a working daughter can be complicated. Managing your career as your parents age can be hard.
When you’re young, parents call the shots. As parents age, they may need some ‘extra’ help.
My parents retired nearly two decades ago. During their 40-year working career, rarely did they miss work. Since retirement, they have had their share of health-related issues. From a car accident that resulted in a recovery in ICU, to breast cancer and radiation treatments, numerous joint replacements and other surgeries, it’s been a whirlwind of events.
Over the years, my sisters and I have traveled from out-of-town and out-of-state to lend a helping hand to assist our parents. Our professional and personal commitments are many. We have learned to divide and conquer the To-Do List. We stagger our visits and use many of our vacation days to sit with our parents in hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, and to assist in their home. We spend our weekends with them. We have complemented our regular visits to home with in-home care support.
We don’t have resentment or regrets. This is a special time to give back and to support the very people who have loved us unconditionally and given us life—our parents.
As I share my personal journey in this post, I am thankful for all the professional development training and skills I have acquired over the years. This training has prepared me to be a better equipped team player on one of the most important teams I am a part of “my family.”
Over the years, I have developed good leadership, time management, communication, listening, conflict resolution, and organizational skills. I have acquired empathy and understanding. This knowledge and these skills are so helpful both at work and at home.
Over time my family has learned to unite together and work together. It takes hard work. We have different opinions, we listen. We identify what needs to get done. We divide and conquer based on our individual strengths and schedules. My dad has nicknamed my sister and I “bulldog #1 and bulldog #2” because of our tenacity to get stuff done. We have learned a lot about Medicare, short and long-term healthcare, in-home care options, and their day-to-day living. We have been open and honest in our frequent, ongoing communication with one another. We see the benefits of regular family council meetings utilizing technology to share information, address questions, get answers, and make unified decisions.
Our journey as a family on this road less traveled can be hard at times. It’s unique. It’s special. I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know this working daughter is grateful to be on a great team! Go Team Leitner!
