153 | Watching a Parent Decline: Letting Go of the Need to Fix It (Sandwich Generation Stress)

153 | Watching a Parent Decline: Letting Go of the Need to Fix It (Sandwich Generation Stress)

From The Mindful Midlife Mom - Mindfulness Practices and Techniques for Mentally Exhausted Moms in the Sandwich Generation by Valerie Mekki

April 26, 2026 · 11 min · Episode 153

About this episode

Valerie shares her personal experience of watching her father decline and the challenges of letting go of the need to fix the situation.

When something is wrong, we want to fix it. It’s wired into us as moms, as daughters, as the women who hold everything together. But what do you do when you’re watching your parent decline — slowly, relentlessly — and there is nothing to fix? This is one of the most personal episodes of The Mindful Midlife Mom. In it, Valerie shares where her dad is right now in his late-stage neurological decline — including the moment she realized he could no longer open his eyes — and what she’s learned ab...

People in this episode

Host: Valerie Mekki

Topics covered

  • parent decline
  • letting go
  • sandwich generation
  • mental health
  • family dynamics

Keywords

  • parent decline
  • neurological decline
  • sandwich generation
  • mental exhaustion
  • mindfulness

More episodes of The Mindful Midlife Mom - Mindfulness Practices and Techniques for Mentally Exhausted Moms in the Sandwich Generation

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Mindful Midlife Mom - Mindfulness Practices and Techniques for Mentally Exhausted Moms in the Sandwich Generation podcast page.