It's OUR Family's Affairs: Avoiding the Financial Domino Effect

Hey Family,

Thanks for your continue support on this journey

This weeks show is about ordering our loved ones and our affairs.  Make it a family affair.  All will be blessed and less stressed afterwards. For the better.

Enjoy the show.


Be blessed.  Not stressed.  Why?

Because yours and their lives depend on it.

Aminah  Amarachi- Your host

https://linktr.ee/findingjoywithinthejunctures


2021-2022 © JITMOIA Podcast  by All Paths Lead Home, LLC/SLE (TM)  – All Rights Reserved

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S1E22 - “It's OUR Family's Affairs: Avoiding the Financial Domino Effect”

Intro Music: Royalty Free

Promo: BuzzSprout Services 

Aminah:Grand risings and runnings, family, and welcome back to our Joy in the Midst of It All podcast show.  I am your host - Aminah Amarachi.

Before we begin our journey, I would like for us to take a moment and just breathe. Come on, Join me, PAUSE….Put down what you are doing, go on, pause, and take a moment to, and for yourself…to just BREATHE. PAUSE.

As caregivers, sometimes we rip, run, and roar through our caregiving journey doing our best to do so many things for those we love, and sometimes the most simple thing we can do for ourselves is just…BREATHE for a few moments, in order to calm, center, and celebrate ourselves, before moving through the next seaming crises or checklist.

Now, let’s continue our journey…

Have you ever been caregiving for an elder of a certain generation and you find yourself pulling your hair out trying to get them to help you help them get their affairs in order, sooner, rather than later…Yea…well…we all know that some of our elders, regardless of whether you have five degrees, two jobs, and take care of a whole household…they still see you as WHAT? their child, whose diapers they changed and no matter what they will always be the adult and you the child…so…how do you approach conversations around ordering their affairs - financial, health, and final wishes affairs, when they won’t even yet accept that it is now their turn to let their loved ones...You know...YOU...to support them in their time of need…and, that’s before they look at you like…hmm…you can’t even take care of yourself (that's for some of their adult children, not all)...UHMM.

Well, in today's episode, my friend Cheryl will share with us her unique way of supporting her Mama with getting her affairs in order…not to mention much of it was done long distance…

Stay tuned to learn how her journey blesses all caregivers, and their loved ones, of course, regardless of who you are caring for, or in preparing your family for if they need to care for you...Yeah, put that on your list... as she shares her journey and insights on ordering her Mom’s affairs.

Aminah: Today’s Episode:  “It's OUR Family's Affairs: Avoiding the Financial Domino Effect” or as I say, “Don't get bowled over with a bowling ball. Strike!”

Aminah: The year:2012

Aminah: The date:The day you realize that you must sometimes become the adult/parent to your parent(s), Yes, I said plural, so that the entire family is not impacted by a financial domino effect…

Aminah: Scene: A CALL home from Mama...Yes, in this case, this was Mama Mildred. Not Mama Martha. See them two letters “M” up in there...Yep...We'll Talk about that later.

Aminah: The Story:  Yep. It was indeed a call from Cheryl's Mama. Mmm...A CALLto be of Service…Long Distance Caregiving…Can someone say frequent flier miles…check.

First, Cheryl tells a little bit about yourself (background, expertise, etc.) [2 minutes]

Cheryl: Thank you for inviting me to the show today. I am excited to talk about this topic. I am a sign language interpreter, just like you. Beyond that, I am also a daughter and an aunt, one who loves my family.  I have a background with expertise in administration. For 12 to 13 years, I was an  administrative assistant in the financial industry, before I actually became an interpreter, so I have a strong background in being able to take care of everybody else’s affairs, particularly the paperwork and documentation. I’m pretty good at it. So, that’s pretty much where my story began, in having the ability to do that.

Aminah: Thank you so much. Now, family, I will throw some questions out to Cheryl and let her take the lead.  Thank you all for joining us today.

Question:  When was the moment you realized that the time had come for your Mama to begin ordering her affairs, and you would begin your journey as her caregiver?

Cheryl:  I would probably say that occurred over time. It wasn't necessarily a one time event, but it was just small things I was starting to notice. Of course, there was a big event, yet prior to that it was mostly little events. I wouldn’t necessarily say that she was being honest.  I thought she was being forgetful. There were things she wouldn’t necessarily tell me. We had been pretty honest with each other up until that point. So, when I realized that her health was not as good as I thought it was, those were the things that made me realize that some changes and some challenges were probably ahead of us. 

The big day was when my husband and I were preparing to go to a wedding here in Maryland, and my Mom was having what I now consider to be a panic attack. She was living in another state. She was headed to the hospital that morning and she didn’t want us to call anybody. She had already called our brothers, but they lived twenty minutes away.  But, in the meantime, she didn’t want anyone to call our neighbors. And word got around town. We didn’t call the neighbors, but my brothers did, so everyone kinda showed up at her house. In the meantime, she had to go to the hospital.  And, one of the things she said to me, in her panic, was, “I need you to come and see about me.” Prior to that, my Mother had been a very independent person.  So, for her to make that statement I took it very seriously. 

So, after attending the wedding, that morning, I came back home. Found the first thing smokin, that could get me to my Mama's house, and called my brother to pick me up, because my Mother lives three hours from the closest airport.  My brother picked me up, and in the wee hours of the morning, at about two or three o’clock in the morning, I was standing in my Mother’s living room.  She was actually shocked. She wasn’t expecting me to actually be there.

I think she said, “I need you to come and see about me, ”out of fear…I don’t necessarily know that she thought that I would actually would show up.  I had been working as a freelancer, at the time, so prior to this I canceled all of my work for the next seven to ten days.  When I showed up at my Mom’s house he was shocked. She asked, “What are you gonna do about work?” “Why are you here? and “How long are you gonna be here?,”I told her, “I got eight days.” I told her, “I can’t go back home and pick up my work because I had already canceled everything.” I told her, “We have eight days to get things in order.”  And, that’s what we set out to do.

Aminah:So, family, as you can see, look for the signals from your loved ones that might give you a clue, or that which is unlike who you know them to be…kinda like my Mama saying, “Oh Boy!” for the first time in my life. I knew something was up. You know, even though sometimes hindsight is 20-20, you still have an inkling they are trying to tell you something even if they ain't yet told you or you haven't quite figured it out. Just be on notice.

Question:So, Cheryl, Had you ever been a caregiver to a loved one before that moment?

Cheryl:I wouldn’t say I’ve been a caregiver in a direct way.  My Mom, by virtue of her profession, is a nurse, so I watched her take care of folks all her life and all of my life.  In addition to that I was what you would consider a caregiver by proxy or an assistant caregiver, because my husband's Mother was on the journey of Alzheimer's. So, I was supporting him and his family with what they were doing to care for their Mom.  I wouldn’t say that I was a direct caregiver, but I would say it was more indirect.

Aminah:Thank you.

Question:  How did you feel initially, then subsequently about moving into your caregiver leg of your life’s journey? What thoughts were running through your mind after your Mom made that statement? 

Cheryl:  I know for a fact that I was very nervous about it. Initially, all I wanted to do was to get her affairs in order. I wasn’t necessarily, at that time, caregiving. The incident when I went home after she had a panic attack, I was just trying to make sure that her affairs were in order.  I knew my Mom was really independent so I wanted her to have her dignity for as long as possible. And, in doing so..I am one who believes that you let your loved ones have their dignity as much as possible. In doing so, I let my Mom make her decisions.  I just pointed out things that I knew would be important for her being able to take care of her affairs. I didn’t come into it saying that I was going to take over.  I made sure she understood that it was a joint venture.  I was going to give her suggestions based on having worked in the financial industry for what I thought might work for her, but I didn’t push her to do anything.

In general, sometimes our elders are resistant to us telling them what to do. It strips them of their dignity. I think one of the reasons why I was successful, eventually, in getting all of this taken care of is because I suggested rather than told her what to do.

Aminah:That is so true. And, as we all know. Some of our elders, they don't have to say a word, yet it's all in their face how they feel about how you are stepping into their world and thinking that you are going to take over.

Question:Now, Initially was your Mama open to ordering and sharing her health and financial affairs with you? If yes, Why? And to what degree. If no? Why not, and why do you think that was?

Cheryl:She was pretty open to my assistance.  I believe that she was open because she knew I had a history and background with being able to take care of those kinds of things.  I always say, “Parents know their children.” It doesn’t mean they trust some more than the others, but I think they understand who has certain skills.  She trusted me with the administrative part because that’s what I did for years. She trusted me with the part of the process that she knew I was skilled in.

Aminah:That’s beautiful. Family, you know parents know their children, and each of their children brings something to them in their time of need. And, actually, in a 360 way, each parent has giftings and skills which their children observe and pick up on, growing up, that they don’t realize comes in handy until you move into the caregiving journey, that you picked up that particular skill that comes in handy in the future.

Question:In general, what ideas began to come to you regarding how to go about supporting you Mama with ordering her affairs? What strategies did you use to help her to help you be prepared for when the time came for you to handle her final affairs? What strategies did you use to help her kind of get prepared for when the time would come when you actually have to handle her affairs?

Cheryl:Most important was knowing where her documents were. None of this would have been possible if we didn’t even know where her documents were.  That particular week I spent with her, you know that morning when she was staring at me at her front door, asking me, “Why are you here?” I told her, “Well, you told me to come see about you, so I am here to see about you.” She then asked,  “Well what are you gonna do about work?” I was prepared to be at home with her. I told her, “Tomorrow morning, we will get up and find your documents.” “It’s a new day.” “We’re gonna start fresh.”  “And, we’re gonna start at the very beginning.”  “We’re gonna find your documents.”  Whatever she had I took it and made copies of it. I found the account numbers. Called those companies to make sure the information was relevant. I called numbers if the accounts had been transferred. It was a lot of waiting on hold.

Now, I will say my Mother was pretty organized. She had her own way of organizing things. She had Ziploc(c) bags and those brown folders with tabs. She should have owned stock in those companies because she had so many things in her Ziploc (c) bags and brown folders. That was her means of organization. It worked for her.

Aminah:  HaHa Yes, it did. You know, that generation, they could find anything in a house. No matter how cluttered it looks. A person walks into their homes going, “What is going on?” They would just reach over into a bag, folder, or pile, grab it and hand you exactly what you need.

Cheryl:Yes, that generation.  She even had a filing cabinet.  So, she had a system.  That was her filing system and how she organized things. She had used bins.  “Oh, my God!” I told her, “Let’s get your papers so we can begin going through them.” Let’s get them in one place then, go through them.  I asked her, “Where are your insurance papers, phone numbers, and bills? Let's just get them in place, and see what we had. Once we know what we have, we can make decisions. It was a starting point for us.

Aminah:Yes you always have to start somewhere, hopefully sooner rather than later. Stay tuned for more right after our first spotlight moment.

Now, for our first spotlight moment…

Spotlight Moment #1:

Aminah:Today's first spotlight moment is ….Dr. Donna Olivia Barnes of the Caregiving Summit. Dr. Donna is currently caregiving for her Mother who has been journeying through Alzheimer’s. She has been on this caregiving journey for the past six years. And, while on her journey has led to the birth of her book “Grateful for Grace: Reflections on Caregiving for Mom'' and “Let’s Talk: Caregiving from the HeART, which is a monthly virtual caregiving support forum.

To connect with Dr. Donna, you may call her at 404-354-3224 or email her atteachwithheart2020@gmail.com Her information, including a link to buy her book, will be in the transcript on our podcast website.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/grateful-for-grace-donna-olivia/1139419136

https://www.amazon.com/Grateful-Grace-Reflections-Caring-Mom/dp/1662815980

Thanks, Ms. Donna for your support of caregivers as they care for those they love.

Welcome Back Family

Now, Cheryl, you have gotten your Mama on board.  Share a bit about what the process and experience was like for you (initially at home for eight days, being a long distance caregiver, navigating the process of supporting your Mother in getting her affairs in order. What was that like for you?

Cheryl:  Mom was on board, but there was a bit of a learning process we had to go through. I think like many of our elders, she believed that the State would sort everything out. I knew that if she didn’t put her wishes in writing, it could become a legal nightmare. Talking about death and writing a will is hard, but trying to grant your loved one’s final wishes is really hard without proper paperwork. So during the time I was home for those eight days, I went into what I call “GO” mode. I was doing what came naturally to me, like printing documents, making phone calls, and sorting through things. We used the resources we already had on hand. We contacted a family member who was an attorney, to get some basic information. We made a record of all her insurance policies and financial accounts and made sure the beneficiaries on her policies were up to date. We made sure there was a second name on her checking account in case a check had to be written in an emergency. Those were really important things that helped us get the ball rolling and start with having honest conversations.

Aminah:It took a great impetus, primarily a health challenge, which was kind of the case for our family, for your Mom to say, this needs to get done.  Also, this is the first time you have spoken about this. Thank You.

Cheryl:  Yes, you're right. This is the first time that I am publicly speaking about this. You're welcome.

Question:Thank you. So, at a minimum, where would you say that not only our elders, yet everyone, begin the journey of ordering their family members’ affairs?

Well, let me start by saying I am not an attorney nor do I play one on your podcast! Aminah:Haha But before creating any documents, I would definitely start with real heart to heart conversations. So, for caregivers, you want to talk to your family about what legacy means to them. How they want to leave this world, if they are willing to share that kind of information with you. You know, we may not be able to choose the time or the place that we leave, but I learned from my Mom's situation, it need not be chaotic and stressful. My mom was a caregiver by profession and nature, she had spent her life as a nurse caring for people. She was quite clear that she wanted to make her own decisions for as long as she could, and I honored that. Once you’ve made some decisions, like what your final wishes are and who you want to take care of your affairs, then talk to an attorney or estate planner in your state to create the documents you need. They will guide you about what best fits your situation.

Aminah: I agree.  For our situation, with my sisters and I, things happened so suddenly, with our Mom passing. And, simultaneously, we were having to pay attention because we were still trying to wrap our heads around Dad starting his journey through Alzheimer's, so we first had to make some choices where we first paused on that part of it and focused on laying Mom to rest. So, for all of us, that was our first time having to plan a homegoing service. There we go showing God our plan. , while considering how her passing changed the original plan we had for me coming home to care for them both, as well as my timeline and the way I went about moving back home. From moving home the day she passed, to grabbing a plan back to my home away from home, while Dad was on a journey, then getting dad situated so I could take care of him, and myself.

Once we laid our Mama to rest, we had to immediately seek support to put into place durable financial and healthcare power of attorneys, a living will. healthcare directive, and last will and testament, for our Dad. Thank God, for Victoria Collier’s Elder law office, locally here in Atlanta, who supported our Dad, as a veteran, while he was still able to participate in helping us order his affairs. Like you said, Cheryl, with dignity. Anything that we needed, we got it done quickly and her starry was wonderful. Thank you, to Victoria Collier's elder law office.

https://www.elderlawgeorgia.com/

Question:  How did your faith play a role in navigating the long distance caregiving and elder affairs ordering journey?

Cheryl:Wow! So, when I think about that time in my life, I realize I couldn’t have made it without God, my family, and my friends, Gosh…even strangers. There’s just no way it would have been possible.  Strangely enough, I think my faith was strengthened during that time. I come from a family of faith and those ideas were passed on to me. I relied on my faith while I was living and working in one state while I was concerned about my Mom who lived some 900 miles away.  For a while, I didn’t know if my mom was listening to me when I explained to her how to write and execute her will, so rather than worry or be concerned that she wouldn’t follow through, I had to believe that whatever her decision, I’d be OK and God would help me through it…and He did!  He absolutely did. It was a hard process going through it, but in the end, it was worth it. 

Aminah:What a journey, indeed.

Question:  Now, before we wrap up, what else, that hasn't already been expressed, would you like to bless our audience with, today?

Cheryl:Yeah. I know my situation may sound like it was easy and I know everyone’s situation is different, but trust that it will all work out. I cried many nights, wondering if I was capable enough to handle the weight of this situation, but God had to show me I was more than capable because of his strength, not mine! So, once I realized that, I had to hold on by faith. Faith was really the only thing I had that was sure.

Aminah:Yes, Lord.  We can do all things through Christ.  That's for sure. Family, remember that the weight of working through this process is not yours alone. Remember that. You are not doing it alone. It may feel like you are doing it alone, sometimes, yet you're never alone, and ultimately you are not bearing the load. God is. So, if your loved one is still able, and willing, get them involved in planning for their affairs so that they not only hold on to their dignity, and also during their life’s journey, they get to still feel connected before they have to deal with whatever may pivot their life, but their journey after life, as well. And, also, trust God, to see you through it all. It doesn't matter if you look up for help and it doesn't seem like family and friends are on board, God is always on board, and will see you through. Cheryl:Amen!

Aminah: Now, Cheryl, will offer her reflections, insights, a take-a-way, tip, and I will throw in our tool and toss for ordering one’s family’s affairs, one loving member at a time.  Cause, yes, every family member who is grown enough to work a job, children or no children, married or not, needs to order their affairs and their children's affairs.

Aminah:  Cheryl, please share with us, your reflections from having come through on the other side of that leg of your caregiving journey

Cheryl’s Reflections:

I think the reason getting your affairs in order is difficult, is because no one wants to confront their own mortality. It’s hard to imagine yourself dying while you’re busy creating your life and trying to live it. I think we could do a better job of re-framing the idea of death so we can live fully in this realm, rather than worry or be concerned about the next.

Aminah:What insight would you like to offer our audience to consider?

Cheryl’s Insight:

Sometimes you have to come to terms with the unknown, and be okay with whatever decision your elders make. I had to ask myself, “Did I want to stress over decisions that weren’t mine to make, or did I want to enjoy my time with my Mom?” So, at some point, I had to choose to make the most of the time I had left with my mom. 

Aminah:  Ase' Ase'

Now, family, it’s time for our second spotlight moment. We’ll be right back, so stay tuned.

Spotlight Moment #2:

Our second spotlight moment is Nolo.com  First, as Cheryl stated, and I am repeating, we are not estate planning professionals.  Please take the time with your loved ones to learn about each document you may need to support you in strategizing a successful estate plan, so you can take care of their affairs on both this side and the other side of their journey. Yes, there are things to take care of after they have gone on.  Nolo.com offers a website resource that provides books on Living Trusts, Wills, Power Attorneys, etc.  It’s a great place to start.  So, go ahead and make this a family affair. Whether you are single, married, divorced, remarried, third marriage, fourteenth child, great grandchildren, young, easoned, and beyond, it’s never too late to order our family’s affairs.  Then, just review and modify them as needed. Once a year, or a quarter. It will make moving on with the business of living less stress free. Literally, once you take care of it, it becomes one more thing you don't have to worry about. Thanks Nolo.com for all your years of service in supporting families in ordering their affairs.

We’re back, family…

Aminah:Cheryl, what is one take-a-way that you would like to share with our podcast family.

Take-a-Way:  I believe it was the tennis player, Arthur Ashe, who is credited with saying, “start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.”  So when you’re thinking of gathering your documents, start with the obvious and work your way into the next phase. Start with the monthly bills, bank, retirement and investment accounts, then start thinking about the retirement accounts and insurance policies and so forth. It’s a process, but with consistent work you can get it done.

Aminah:  You hear her, family. One step at a time. Don't start looking at that big ole mound and freaking out. Just say, “OK, what do we have and move forward from that.” One moment by moment, step by step process, with consistency eventually gets it all done.  Now, Cheryl, any quick tips you’d like to share with our audience?

Tip:Find a friend or family member(an accountability partner) to travel the road and take this journey with you. You might be more willing to gather the information and follow through if you know you won’t have to do it alone. You can travel the road together. Learn some things together and get a lot accomplished together. It's a hard thing to do. It's difficult opening up about your personal financial affairs, or family relationships. One of the reasons why I think it's so hard, in our community, is because we don't have a model for doing that. But, we don't have to keep doing what's been done before. We can change the trajectory of our family's future if we make different decisions now.

Aminah:  I agree. You don't have to do it alone, because there are Earth angels. Remember, we talked about that before – best friend, coworker. Someone you trust. You've been there for each other. Someone you are willing to be vulnerable enough with them to share where you are financially and healthwise. Anything, so that you can support each other, and both of you, on the otherside become demonstrations for your families, that becomes an outward ripple effect that we no longer need to be afraid to talk about death. A time when it is like, “Hey chile, You got your kit together?” “Yeah, I've got mind.” “Good. Well come on baby, Let's roll.” You can go ahead and live your life. It's a great endeavor. So don't let it scare you. Don't feel overwhelmed or pressured. Just get it done so that you don't find yourself in a pressure situation when it has to be done and you may not have the bandwidth to get it done.

Aminah:  Alright family, from both ours, and Cheryl’s own journey as caregivers, here is our tool and our toss for this week’s episode.

Tool:  Yeah, we are going back to good ole fashioned binder. My apologies. I love a good three ring binder. Get one with the slip cover front and back to label it. Get a “D” Ring style. Three inches worth. You can get about 275 to 560 pages in some of these things. It allows you to have one for each member of your family. You can organize your finances in them. You can put all your children's certificates in them. But in this case, we are talking about using them to get all those things out as my Dad would see things out of those FlipFlop bins, bags, brown paper bags, folders, you know the ones hidden down underneath with all the dust on them. Get your phone book, some protective sleeves, and address labels, to get all of your affairs ordered.

Toss:Like Cheryl said, “What you need may be different for each of your own unique situations. You, your children, beloved, etc. Your assets, liabilities, investments, retirements, businesses...etc, are all different. So, please family, do not run out there going, “You know what, Ms. Aminah told me the only way we could do our is to do them the same, and yours gotta look like mine, and...Stop...I'm gonna stop you right now. Have a general conversation about the topic. get some support by talking to an estate planning attorney, then each person sits down and consider what's most important to them, what they value, what great Aunt Sue's china is go go to whoever so they ain't fighting at the funeral and trying to climb into the casket to wake her up from the dead to ask her, “You said it was mine. Nah, she promised me.” Stop all that foolishness. Sit down and have a beautiful, loving heart-felt conversation, and get our family's affairs in order, so your toss is to pull all that stuff out of there. What you want your family to know about how to handle your affairs, now, in case you can't. Cause let me tell you something. With our Dede, if we didn't have the documents in place, everytime we went to a doctors office or a hospital or anywhere he had financial business that needed to be taken care of, if you do not have these documents in place, they are NOT going to talk to you. You can call all day, fuss all day, show up and cut the fool, but if you don't have the legal right to provide support and handle the financial, medical and final wishes and affairs of your loved ones, it's gonna fall apart. That's the domino effect.

Cheryl: Yes.

Aminah:You gonna smack you in the face. Knock you backwards and you gonna hit everyone behind you, cause everyone is gonna be scrambling. So, when you go to that next reunion, after you finish that next dance contest, and enjoy your food and everything else, have a conversation about ordering family affairs. Have someone stand up who has done it before so you can learn that it's easy to do and just takes some committed time to get it done. So, go ahead and start making your list of those monthly bills, debts, policies, deeds, bank, retirement and investment accounts. Go get them ole series E and H bonds. Yeah those too. Paid up burial plots. Make sure you don't have any old inheritances. Use that website for your state to see if you have anything someone might have left you. Get all that stuff together – funeral home, burial location, final expense plan, homegoing program, and if you don't want no repass, put it all done on paper, because they can only honor what you want if it's in writing. You know your people. Someone's gonna say, “She don't want that, she ain't here no more, so we just gonna do this.” Nip it in the bud. Begin by writing down the names, addresses, account numbers, and contact information for everything that you transact business, health, children, and life for. You gotta take care of the kids. Folks have had parents pass while the children are young or the siblings pass before the parents. Don't sit around talking about it's only for people who are old. It's for everybody.

Write down the beneficiaries of your life insurance policies, retirement and bank accounts. Gather them up. Yes, I did say go get your bin, boxes, and those stacks of paper you've been staring at while watching TV, so you can see what you have and what you need to do next to plan, to prepare, manage, maneuver, and mitigate unnecessary stress for both yourself, and your loved ones as much as possible. And, also, be willing to seek support sooner rather than later.  Don't be sitting up there all stoic, like Uncle Bubba going, “I don't need this.” I don't need nobody to do this, I'm gonna be alright.” It will not. Follow the laws of your state and get it done.

Aminah:  Wow! We've come to the end of another wonderful show. Thanks Cheryl for joining us today, to share yours and your Mom’s journey to ORDERING her Mom's affairs in order to avoid a future financial domino effect on the family. Now, family, remember that all of this is possible when we start, FIRST, with what Cheryl said...a caring conversations (Don't waste time, stay on track) that ease concerns, and cultivate collaboration, that creates a change for how we go about planning for life after life, before our lives are complete, so that we can move forward calmly celebrating this thing with call life.

Closing:

In closing, I’d like to take this time to thank you all, both my seasoned and new followers, for spending your time with me on today’s Joy in the Midst of It All journey podcast show. And, again, bless your heart and all your parts, to my friend, Cheryl for joining us on the show today.  That's her saying that I love using. This was right on time for many caregivers taking care of their loved ones – elders, beloveds, and children or that random stranger that becomes your good-good friend.

Now, take a moment to tap the button on your favorite podcast streaming platform to tune in, which means listen, then click to follow and subscribe, it doesn't cost you nothing, finally rate the show by clicking on the stars (scroll down) and leave a review. It helps the show to get out to more and more caregivers. And, that is the whole intention of our show, which is coming up on its one year anniversary. Cheryl: Congratulations. Thanks in advance for your support. 

You will also receive updates when a new episode is released.  We release an episode every second and fourth Thursday of the month. OK. And, yes I didn't release one last week, because Spirit said we were gonna do something else. I'm gonna get out this one, another one, and a third one. So, go ahead and tag a family caregiver, or a few, if you know them, and tell them one thing you have learned today, or from any previous episode, yeah go ahead and get caught up, that will support you, and maybe them, in moving through the caregiving journey with more ease, no matter who or how God has chosen for you or them to offer your gift of caregiving to your loved ones.

Then, blaze a trail over to my podcast website, on Buzzsprout, for the show notes, transcript, and any links. Go support Dr. Donna and Nolo.com. And, if your heart so leads you, tip me what I like to call a “Cup of J.O.E. (A jolt of encouragement and support),” over at my Buy Me a Cup of Coffee website link. Understand, though, this southern girl, here, I do prefer a great cup of tea and lemonade...you know... we call that an Arnold Palmer down this way. I don't know what y'all call it, but...anyway. You will see the link in the show notes. Thanks for your patience as I am still building it out. This whole podcast is a first for me, so it's a journey for me as well. It takes a lot. Yeah, but I am obedient. Yes, I am. God said, “Do it.” So I do.

I am your host Aminah, and I want you to be blessed and less stressed...Why?, because yours and their lives depend on it. Have a great day.

Outro Music: Royalty Free

Tags: Support, Long Distance, Conversation, Order, Organize, Finances, Health, Final Wishes, Faith, Trust, Family, Affairs

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