DEAR CARALLEL: My dad is 81 years old. He’s a happy guy. Still works out a few times a week and goes to coffee just about every morning. My sister and her family live 20 minutes down the road and I’m a couple hours north. I was recently in town for a visit. Dad seemed like … I couldn’t help but notice that it looked like his car had been in a Nascar race.
DEAR CARALLEL: My husband and I are retirees in our mid to late 70’s and all things considered, we’re in pretty good health. We have no way of knowing how long that will last but make it a point to do what we can to keep it that way by taking our daily walk and making … Medication is so expensive! What can I do to lower my costs?
DEAR CARALLEL: My partner has some dementia. I began noticing changes in his behavior a few years ago and we eventually got the diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia about 18 months ago. While I am afraid of what is to come, I’m angry now because he refuses my help. And he needs help with everything! Getting ready … He refuses help that he clearly needs. What do I do?!?
DEAR CARALLEL: My father has been living with my family since 2019. I don’t have any siblings and it seemed like a no-brainer after my mother passed away. He adjusted, we adjusted, and things were fine for a while. But his health has declined and things have gotten challenging in the last couple of years. He’s diabetic … I promised my father he’d never go into a nursing home. I need to break that promise and I’m heartbroken.
DEAR CARALLEL: I moved into my mother’s home four and a half years ago when it was too much for her to be living on her own. I was not quite sure what was going on with her at the time, I just thought she was getting older. Long story short, it turned out to be the … She’s accusing me of stealing her pocketbook, her money, and her lipstick.
DEAR CARALLEL: Hoping you can help me out. Me and my brother have been helping our dad more and more over the last couple of years. It’s hard but we got a pretty good thing going. I do the day to day because I’m closer and my brother handles all the paperwork and money stuff … I can’t afford an accountant but need help with my father’s taxes.
DEAR CARALLEL: My husband and I take care of my mother and his father, and I don’t know where to go from here. My mom moved in with us in 2022 and then my father-in-law’s health took a turn last year and we were put on double-duty. He still lives on his own a couple of … I’m sick of the stress.
DEAR CARALLEL: I’ve been taking care of my husband since June of 2015 when he had a stroke. It was a few of them actually but you get the point. Our life hasn’t been the same since. He has difficulty speaking and his right side is too weak for him to be able to walk. He’s … I’ve ignored my own health for too long.
DEAR CARALLEL: My mother is 73 and as independent as they come. I’m an only child and Mom’s a widow so I thank the heavens daily that she’s still healthy and doing her thing. That being said, I must admit that as I’ve seen more and more of my friends having to step in and help … How do I talk to my Mom about money?
We’ll be back with a new edition of Dear Carallel on January 11th. In the meantime, we looked in the rearview mirror at 2023 and thought we’d share some of the favorites from the year gone by. Without further adieu….here are six. Enjoy! ✨ We hope you’re finding some peace and joy–whatever that looks like … Best of Dear Carallel from 2023