For Laurie James, giving birth to four daughters in five years called for necessary life changes. Leaving her career as a recruiter, she took on the role of a full-time mom. “My third pregnancy were a set of identical twin girls,” she says, “so that was a pretty big shock to the system.” An even bigger shock came when her mother developed dementia. This meant Laurie now found herself raising four children while also managing her mother’s care. “I became one of the first people in my friend group to enter into the Sandwich Generation.” The Sandwich Generation, Laurie says, is described as having at least one child you are supporting and at least one parent that’s over the age of 65. Her attention diverted, Laurie also found her marriage struggling. Turning to therapy and yoga for support, she was inspired when an acquaintance suggested she write a book. Laurie James talks to CoveyClub founder, Lesley Jane Seymour about how she poured her struggles, her accomplishments, and her lessons along the way into Sandwiched: A Memoir of Holding On and Letting Go. The book chronicles her personal journey through the sandwich generation while also revealing many of the dangerous flaws within the caregiving industry. As a result of writing the book, Laurie found new strength in the power of writing and reflection. “Find that time to reflect,” Laurie advises us, “because that’s where our growth happens.”
FREE GIFT! Don’t start your reinvention without downloading CoveyClub’s starter guide called “31 Badass Tips for Launching Your Reinvention Without Fear!”
#204 The Near-Death Experience That Forced My Reinvention (Geralyn Ritter)
#203 When a Health Crisis Becomes a Transformative Journey (Elena Sonnino)
#202 When Your Personal Reinvention Leads to Groundbreaking Change for Autism (Dr. Joan Fallon)
#201 Reinventing Your Mindset About Aging (Judy Katz)
#200 When Your Reinvention Leads You to Run for Political Office (But You Lose) (Claire Campos-O’Neal)
#199 Using Reinvention to Navigate Grief (Katty Douraghy)
#198 Reinventing Your Time Management Skills (Ashley Whillans)
#197 Reinventing Your Career Mindset After Decades in One Industry (Jackie MacDougall)
#196 Walking Away from the Golden Handcuffs that are Literally Killing You (Monica Froese)
#195 Reframing Your Career (After Burnout) to Make it New Again (Stephanie Smirnov)
#194 Reinventing Because You Can’t Walk Away from the Paycheck (Heather Frimmer)
#193 When You Don’t Fit Into the Corporate Box Because You Are Multi-Passionate (Sarabeth Berk)
#192 Ditching the Financial Security of the Legal World to Fight for Women’s Equality (Taina Bien-Aime)
#191 Reaching the Pinnacle of Corporate Success and Walking Away (Traci Schubert Barrett)
#190 How to Make Big, Bold Reinvention – Without Regrets (Diann Wingert)
#189 How to Cultivate Reinvention Support Systems – and Ditch the Nay-Sayers (Elizabeth Rosenberg)
#188 From Technical Writer for Railroads to Stand-Up Comic (Jennifer Turbo)
#187 Reinventing in Pursuit of the Work You Love (Jill Granoff)
#186 Reinventing Yourself After the Worst Year of Your Life (Jane Enright)
#185 The Year That Made Me Rethink Everything (Claudia Dreifus)
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