| Oprahbama, the big O's, Oprah and the Obamas | | | | validate your perceptions, support your ideas |
| - sounds like a rock band on a road trip. As | | | | and help you follow through with your plans. |
| Oprah hit the campaign trail recently, her | | | | 5. As knowledge is power, try to better |
| candidate played the celebrity card and the | | | | understand the difficult transitions your |
| female fan base responded. When you need it, | | | | family in flux is going through. Gather |
| the value of support simply cannot be | | | | information about how to manage change from |
| overestimated. Oprah is a driving force, with | | | | the Internet's search engines or the |
| her message of empowering women and her | | | | self-help section of bookstores. Talk to |
| success at moving product. So, for now, the | | | | others who have gone through similar |
| contest for the democratic nomination is more | | | | experiences in order to get realistic |
| up in the air. Hillary pulled out all the | | | | feedback and some concrete advice. 6. Dig |
| stops, spending her time drumming up support | | | | deep and find your own inner voice - listen |
| with her mom and daughter close by her side. | | | | to what it has to say about caring for your |
| Are you in the same boat, as Sandwiched | | | | family relationships and nurturing yourself |
| Boomers in the midst of dealing with aging | | | | personally. Set some specific goals about |
| parents and growing children? Do you need | | | | what you need from your family and for you. |
| some help in finding support for yourself? | | | | Step by step, work toward achieving them. |
| Learn how to go about it from the following | | | | Perhaps the marriage of show business and |
| ideas: 1. Educate yourself about what to | | | | politics is a little too Hollywood for your |
| expect and the various organizations or | | | | taste. Obama and Hillary are focused on the |
| resources available to you. Talk to friends | | | | best way to achieve maximum political |
| and family whose opinions you respect. | | | | advantage. For you, it's more about building |
| Collaboration is essential during such a | | | | a support system, not star power. How to get |
| critical period of time. Reach out and create | | | | the vote of confidence, from those whose |
| a network - you don't have to do it alone. 2. | | | | reinforcement you need, may be the crux of |
| Be frank with your family. Engage your | | | | your struggle right now. Pitch for the |
| siblings in the problems and the solutions. | | | | demographic that will buoy you up in times of |
| Put emotional and logistical support systems | | | | need. And save the best seats in the house |
| in place as you ask for practical help and | | | | for those who will continue to work on your |
| delegate responsibilities. Have them set | | | | behalf. © 2007, Her Mentor Center |
| aside personal agendas and work together | | | | |
| toward collective goals. 3. Find a class or | | | | Phyllis Goldberg, Ph.D. & Rosemary Lichtman, |
| workshop that addresses your specific | | | | Ph.D. are co-founders of a website for |
| concerns. Local university extension programs | | | | midlife women and a Blog for the Sandwich |
| or mental health centers provide training | | | | Generation. They are authors of a forthcoming |
| seminars about a variety of concerns and | | | | book about Baby Boomers' family relationships |
| problems that are common to Sandwiched | | | | and publish a free newsletter, Stepping |
| Boomers. 4. Join an ongoing group or attend a | | | | Stones, through their website. As |
| weekend retreat to share concerns, | | | | psychotherapists, they have over 40 years of |
| problem-solve and gain new perspective. A | | | | collective private practice experience. |
| therapist or a coach can be a sounding board, | | | | |