01/21/2022
By Kate Stone Lombardi
I’ve heard a lot about the “sandwich generation” – middle aged people who are coping with their aging parents and their own kids.
Well, I’d like to make a pitch for what I’ve dubbed the “panini generation.”
The metaphor goes for the extra layer of four-generation families. With life spans increasing (save for the current Covid dip of the last two years) some of us are coping with parents who are living longer than ever.
To wit, all of my Mom’s children are now themselves on Medicare. We are all grandparents, with an aging mother, adult children, and grandkids we want to spend time with.
This morning my mom, a month shy of her 98th birthday needed a medical procedure which required light anesthesia and follow up care. Two days ago, I was singing silly songs to my baby granddaughter, who lives across the country. Sometimes I don’t know which generation’s digestive tract to worry about most. (Don’t ask – it’s a family weakness.)
Anyway, my husband says my metaphor is wrong – it shouldn’t be a panini but a club sandwich, one with that extra layer of bread. He’s probably right about the layers, but it just doesn’t capture the crush of time demands.
That said, I love a good, warm mushy panini. It’s a comfort food. And I’m lucky to have four generations to love.