Welcome to MyraSmith.com! THE SANDWICH GENERATION IS A TERM USED TO DESCRIBE A GROWING SEGMENT OF THE American population of working adults responsible or the care of both children and aging parents. According to the National Alliance of Caregiving (NAC) in Bethesda, Md., …"more than 44 million Americans are involved in caring for an aging relative or friend, and about 29 million of them are employed."(AARP Bulletin, May 2006) With the 85-plus population growing at the fastest rate, the U.S. Department of Labor predicts that by 2008, 54 percent of the work force will be involved in caring for an older person--including making doctors' appointments, calling around to find out about care facilities or handling emergency situations. Add to these statistics the fact that the number of households with children 18 and older still living there grew by 70 percent in the first four years of this decade, and you have a generation of baby boomers who are not only sandwiched, but in desperate need of spiritual food. SOUL FOOD FOR THE SANDWICH GENERATION is a book written especially for this group of individuals sandwiched between generations. QUOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER Soul Food for the Sandwich Generation is written for these times in which millions of "baby boomers" have found themselves caregivers to their aging parents as well as to their own children. As a caregiver with a heart of gold, Myra has written succinctly and with wry humor from the perspective of this task being both a blessing and at times a hardship. Choosing each word with care, Myra offers pearls of wisdom and insight to readers in her meditations for caregivers. Lois Qualben, President Langmarc Publishing P.O. Box 90488 Austin, Texas 78709-0488 (512) 394-0989 www.langmarc.com A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR: My husband, Ray and I are members of the sandwich generation. This book is written from my personal experience as a child, parent, and caregiver. In the first chapter of my book, I say, "When you are a child, someone else gives up part of his life to nurture and sustain you. As an adult, you wrestle with issues that range from diapering and first steps to graduations, weddings, and learning to let go. And now, when it is time for you to care for your parents, you feel like a child again. Going it alone on this journey is impossible. You cannot do it. But each day, with God as your guide, miracles can happen." (pg. 10, Soul Food for the Sandwich Generation)