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In this deeply personal and emotionally honest episode of Growing Tall Poppies, host Dr. Nat Green shares what it’s really like to be part of the Sandwich Generation—those navigating life while supporting both aging parents and young adult or teenage children. The group of adults caught in the middle, caring for aging parents while still showing up emotionally, financially, and practically for young adult or teenage children.

As the eldest child, Dr Nat reflects on her early conditioning around self-sacrifice and responsibility. When her mother was diagnosed with metastatic cancer, she didn’t hesitate to move back home to help care for her. Now, 31 years after her mother’s passing, Dr Nat has lived more of her life without her than with her—and the grief of mothering without a mother continues to show up in profound ways at unexpected times and continues to ripple through the years.

She opens up about the heartbreak of seeing her beloved stepmum fading to Alzheimer’s and the recent, painful signs that her father is likely walking the same path. With raw vulnerability, Dr Nat describes the emotional toll of being “the strong one,” holding everyone together while silently navigating her own grief and exhaustion. The emotional weight has become very real.

In this conversation, She speaks honestly about the invisible emotional labour, the cost of being the strong one, and the quiet grief that builds when you're loving everyone deeply—but often putting yourself last.

This episode is a powerful exploration of love, loss, responsibility, and resilience—and a reminder that those in the middle are not alone.

If you're in this season too… This episode is for you.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• A heartfelt look at what it means to live in the Sandwich Generation
• The emotional weight of caring for aging parents while raising or supporting adult children
• The ongoing grief of losing a parent young—and the ache of “motherless mothering”
• Navigating Alzheimer’s disease and anticipatory grief with loved ones
• How eldest daughters often carry invisible emotional loads
• The impact of long-term self-sacrifice and unmet emotional needs
• The hidden impact of eldest daughter syndrome and learned self-sacrifice
• How to hold space for everyone… without losing yourself in the process
• Why grace, grit, and love are essential tools for navigating this season of life
• Encouragement for anyone walking this path: you are seen, and You are not alone.

💬 Let’s Continue the Conversation:

If this episode spoke to you, I’d love to hear from you. Message me on Instagram or Facebook and share the episode with someone walking a similar path.

This episode is a powerful exploration of love, loss, responsibility, and resilience—and a reminder that those in the middle are not alone.

If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen
Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.
Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.