Caregiving strips you bare—it tests your patience, your humor, your strength, and your love. That’s what I learned talking with Mark Steven Porro, who cared for his mother during the final stretch of her life and turned it into a powerful, painfully funny, and deeply human memoir. Mark didn’t sugarcoat the hard stuff—he carried her, fed her, changed her, and sometimes got peed on mid-diaper-change. But he also found grace in the chaos, beauty in her smile, and humor in everything from rosary beads repaired with hot glue to a cup of tea made on a commode. His story reminded me that caregiving isn’t just about duty—it’s about connection, transformation, and showing up with love even when your tank feels empty.

About Our Guest:

Mark Steven Porro, a New Jersey native (Exit 163), earned an Industrial Design degree from The Ohio State University. After years of agency work, his love of acting led him to Hollywood, where he appeared in dozens of television, film, and stage productions. Mark also spent his twenty-eight years in Tinseltown, entrepreneuring. He started five non-profit companies. But hold the applause, none were intended to be. He now lives in the South of France. But hold your pity. He of sound mind and body chose to suffer in the heart of wine country where the locals insist his French isn’t so bad—at least that’s what he thinks they’re saying.

Mark is an award-winning designer, writer, director, and now a best-selling, award-winning author. He has written lots of jokes, several screenplays, and one award-winning short film. A Cup of Tea on the Commode—a sad, sweet, and funny debut memoir—chronicles his multitasking adventures of filling his mother’s last years with love, laughter, and joy. Though not always successful, he came pretty damn close.

Social Media Links:

• Choose your favorite bookstore to order - https://books2read.com/u/bPN7Pd
• Our website - https://acupofteaonthecommode.org/
• Our Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/teaonthe
• Our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@acupofteaonthecommode
• Our Distributor (Independent Publishers Group) - https://www.ipgbook.com/

“This author weaves his stories together, employing a wickedly humorous skill not unlike that of David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs” — Five-Star Amazon review

• 2025 Independent Press Award Winner
• 2025 Feathered Quill Book Awards Finalist
• 2024 Best Indie Book Award Winner
• 2024 NYC Big Book Award Winner
• 2024 Paris Book Festival Winner
• 2024 Living Now Book Awards Winner
• 2024 International Book Awards Winner
• 2024 IndieReader Discovery Award Winner
• 2024 Book Excellence Award Winner
• 2024 Firebird Book Award Winner
• 2024 Eric Hoffer Book Award Finalist
• 2024 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards Finalist
• 2024 National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist
• 2024 American BookFest Awards Finalist
• 2024 Chanticleer International Awards Finalist

About...