The Sandwich Generation Pod

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

Being an only child means you learn independence early. You can entertain yourself, make decisions, and figure out anything on your own. But when you land in The Sandwich Generation? That same independence can start to feel a whole lot like, “Wait… am I supposed to do ALL of this myself?!”
In this episode of The Sandwich Generation Pod, Eliesa opens up about the unique reality of being an “only” while caregiving for aging parents, raising a family, managing grief, and carrying the emotional load without siblings to tag in. We’re also joined by Melissa Del Rosario, who shares her deeply personal story of sudden loss, shifting family dynamics, setting boundaries, and learning how to build your village when you don’t automatically have one built in.
Together, we talk about the pros, cons, pressure, freedom, guilt, resilience, and dark humor that come with being an only child caregiver.
If you’re an only child caring for aging parents, navigating family caregiving alone, or trying to survive the chaos of the Sandwich Generation without losing your mind, this episode will make you feel seen, understood, and hopefully laugh a little too.
Because being an only doesn’t mean you’re supposed to do it all alone.

Takeaways
Only children are superheroes — but you don’t have to carry everything alone.
Being an Only teaches you independence early. You learn to figure things out yourself.
That independence can get rocked hard in The Sandwich Generation.
In a family of three, losing one person changes everything and the whole dynamic shifts.
Your relationship with a surviving parent often has to be rebuilt after loss. This takes time. 
Boundaries can feel hard as an Only because you feel responsible for everyone.
A lot of only children become the emotional center of the family. That’s heavy.
Our friends often become family when you’re an Only. We learn how to build our own village!
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Melissa Del Rosario
02:10 Melissa's Caregiving Story as an Only Child
05:42 Navigating Life and Death Decisions
07:54 The Pressure of Being an Only Child when it's life or death
14:23 Rebuilding Relationships After Loss
16:44 How the Family Dynamic shifts after loss when you are an Only Child
22:29 The Fragility of Codependency
27:28 How do Only Children deal with the guilt?
34:54 Your Friends can be closer than family when you're an Only
40:57 Finding Guidance and Advice when you are an Only
46:41 Empowerment in Independence
48:43 Rethinking Only Child Stereotypes
52:50 Outro

How do we keep laughing when life feels so unbelievably heavy? Between raising the littles, caregiving for our aging parents, grief and the stress, surviving The Sandwich Generation feels like sometimes humor is the only thing holding it all together!
In this episode of The Sandwich Generation Pod, Eliesa Johnson and Robyn Frank welcome nationally acclaimed comedian Susan Rice (@funnyoldbag) for a hilarious, honest, and surprisingly heartfelt conversation about aging, caregiving, self-worth, reinvention, and why it’s never too late to chase your dreams!
Susan shares how she found her groove as a comedian in her seventies, what humor can teach us about resilience, and why getting older might actually be the moment we finally stop giving a fuck what everyone else thinks. 
We talk about finding joy in hard seasons, embracing aging with humor, and learning to laugh (or cry) at the chaos.
If you’re caring for aging parents, feeling burned out in midlife, or just need permission to laugh through the mess, this episode is for you.

Takeaways
Sometimes the funniest people are carrying the hardest stories.
It’s never too late to grow into yourself.
Getting older can bring a surprising sense of freedom.
Younger generations have so much to learn from older generations, we just need to connect more.
There’s something powerful about hearing confident women in their 70s speak honestly and loudly.
Aging doesn’t mean becoming invisible. You still deserve to take up space.
Humor helps us survive hard things. We always need it.

Links and Resources
Susan Rice Comedy
@ funnyoldbag on Instagram
Susan Rice: Silver Alert - a new special!
Don’t Tell Comedy Shows

Chapters: 
00:00 Introduction to Comedian Susan Rice
01:15 Overcoming Challenges with Humor
12:15 The Resilience of Aging
13:18 Thriving in Your Seventies
15:53 Confidence and Visibility in Aging
21:35 Susan's Caregiving Story
23:43 Women, The World and why we always need Humor