Season 2 Finale!!!

Remember when our biggest question was, "What do I want to be when I grow up?"

Now it's more like, "Who am I? Can I give enough energy to everyone? Do I love the work I’m doing still?”

That's life in The Sandwich Generation!

Between tending to the children, caring for aging parents, building careers, managing households, and trying to keep up with everyday life, it's easy to lose sight of the person underneath all the responsibilities.

In this episode, Robyn and Eliesa sit down with Monica Walch for a conversation that feels like a deep exhale. We talk about raising our kids well in midlife, living our values, simplifying, and giving yourself permission to evolve. Together, they explore why every season asks something different of us, and why we don't have to keep carrying everything we've always carried!

It's funny, thoughtful, and exactly the kind of conversation we all need as we wrap up Season 2!

Because maybe growing older isn't about adding more to your life. Maybe it's about figuring out what you're finally ready to let go of ♡

This episode is proudly sponsored by KISA. Visit kisaofficial.com and use code SANDWICHPOD10 for 10% off a luxury robe that we all deserve in The Sandwich Generation!

Takeaways

• It’s okay to outgrow old versions of yourself.
• Simplifying your life can make room for more joy.
• Living intentionally and aligning with core values can help live a life that feels like you.
• Raising kids later in life comes with its own kind of magic and chaos!
• Food, art, and community have a way of bringing us back to ourselves. We need it more than ever!
• Sleep, rest, and taking care of yourself aren’t luxuries, they’re necessities as we age.
• Your 40s can be less about having it all together and more about figuring out what really matters.

Links + Resources:

Monica’s (Magical) Instagram + Farm Stand

Rick Rubin The Creative Act

Constellation Acupuncture

Nourish Family Wellness

Dutch Test

Dutch Test Podcast

Chapters

00:00 Introductions to Monica Walch

04:20 The Transition from Business to Family Life

05:52 A candid discussion on having kids later in life

07:14 Becoming different versions of ourselves through careers and motherhood

23:54 Intentional Living

28:11 Creating Family Rhythms and Connection

37:04 Finding Health (for real) in Middle Age

42:41 How in the HELL can we find time to meal prep?

49:36 Postpartum or Peri Menopause in our 40’s

01:04:27 Outro

Talking about death is uncomfortable. Talking about how we want to die? That's a conversation most of us avoid altogether.

In this episode of The Sandwich Generation Pod, Eliesa and Robyn sit down with Sarah Longacre and Wendy Brown to share the extraordinary story of Cheryl Hauser, a wife, mother, and advocate whose Alzheimer's diagnosis led her to make a deeply personal end-of-life decision through Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED).

Cheryl spent her final years documenting her journey, not to tell others what to do, but to encourage families to have honest conversations about end-of-life wishes, autonomy, and what it means to live—and die—with intention. Her story is now featured in the documentary The Cheryl Hauser Effect, helping families around the world navigate some of life's hardest conversations.

Together, we explore Alzheimer's, advance care planning, VSED, caregiving, grief, and the courage it takes to talk openly about death before a crisis forces the conversation.

This episode is thoughtful, emotional, and ultimately hopeful. Whether you're caring for aging parents, facing a difficult diagnosis in your family, or simply wondering how to start talking about end-of-life wishes, Cheryl's story is one you won't soon forget.

Takeaways

• Talking about death is hard, but talking about it matters.
• Knowing someone's wishes is one of the greatest acts of love.
• Every family deserves to understand their end-of-life options.
• Honoring someone's choices can be the hardest - and kindest - thing we do.
• Dignity, joy, and purpose can exist until the very end.
• VSED requires a lot of planning to make sure everyone is emotionally and logistically on board to preserve your loved one’s comfort and dignity through the process.
• Cheryl Hauser and her story are opening up the conversation about choosing how we die.
• No matter what the right choice is for you, plan the party, invite your people and live your fullest right up until the end.

Links + Resources:

Cheryl Hauser Effect Website

Compassion and Choices

Chemin - Wendy Longacre Brown’s end of life doula website and resources

“Choosing to Die” Book by Phyllis Schacter

Minnesota Death Collaborative - a group of integrative death professionals who serve our community in a variety of ways.

Chapters

00:00 Introducing the sisters: Sarah and Wendy

03:53 An Intro to The Cheryl Hauser Effect Documentary

05:51 Who is Cheryl Hauser : A Mother's Legacy

28:30 Shifting Perspectives: Conversations About Mortality

31:08 Medical Aid vs. VSED: Understanding the Options

39:37 When is it time to VSED? How do you know?

44:02 The legalities of choosing VSED - a candid conversation

50:54 Setting the Stage for VSED - What's is really like?

01:06:16 TheCherylHauserEffect.com

01:08:29 Reaction and Final Thoughts from Robyn + Eliesa

What happens when we find someone on the internet who’s leading a grassroots movement in revolutionizing care in America?! We invite them to the pod! In this mini-episode of The Sandwich Generation Pod, Robyn and Eliesa welcome Neal K. Shah of CareYaya to the mic. Neal is reaching people far and wide through his wisdom and advice through social media, but did you also know that he’s *literally* changing the world with his company, CareYaya. CareYaya is changing elder care by connecting families with compassionate, motivated college students from top universities. (Think Harvard, Stanford, etc.) This provides affordable care for thousands of families, and introduces tens of thousands of students into the care workforce.

It’s a win-win for everyone!

In this episode, Neal shares all about his caregiving story, practical solutions and hopeful trends that are shaping the future of eldercare in America!

This episode is proudly supported by our friends at Poppins Payroll!

Takeaways

• CareYaya is changing how America Cares for it’s elders.
• Paying the caregiver directly massively cuts the cost of in home care.
• The younger generation is actually interested in caregiving - that is hopeful for us all!
• There’s going to be a demographic shift as the baby boomers age.
• Celebrities are speaking out more - and people in prominent positions about caregiving. Wherever we are feeling ‘lonely’ we realize - wow, this affects us all.
• Employers + Big companies have the ability to support middle-age employees by offering caregiving support.
• Sandwiched caregivers are doing A LOT. Take time to care for yourself - it’s no joke

Links and Resources:

CareYaya

Poppins Payroll - the easiest way to pay your in-home employee. (Think in-home caregiver, your nanny or even your gardener!) Whoever keeps your home running smoothly, Poppins Payroll can simplify payroll, filings and taxes! Use code: SANDWICH to receive one month FREE!

Counterforce Health AI Tool - Appeal your Health Insurance denial using this powerful tool! (For real!)

NIH: National Institute on Aging

Johns Hopkins Caregiving Research

Family Caregiver Alliance - Great resource for Caregiver Support Groups

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Neal Shah

04:49 Innovations in Caregiving: Bridging Gaps and Creating Solutions

07:32 The Care Crisis in America - how can we create change?

11:42 The Role of Technology in Modern Caregiving

14:27 Channeling Guilt into Social Change

18:11 Demographic Trends and the Caregiving Crisis

19:13 Finding Hope

21:41 Supporting Sandwiched Caregivers

24:11 Systemic Changes for Caregiver Support