Between Now And Next Podcast

When Caregiving Finds You Before You're Ready

Caregiving doesn't wait for a convenient moment. It doesn't check in with your career, your timeline, or the life you were in the middle of building. It just arrives. And for a lot of people, it arrives before they ever feel ready, before their savings make sense, before their kids are grown, before they've finished school or figured out who they are yet. Or after all of that, it still wasn’t a “good” time. Caregiving is hard, and depending on where you are in life, it can be even more challenging.  This episode is about that. The weight of becoming a caregiver at the "wrong" time. What it costs you practically and emotionally, and why the timing of caregiving adds its own layer of grief that rarely gets named. Today, we're naming it and giving that experience the space it actually deserves. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN * The four ways caregiving enters your life and why timing shapes everything that follows * The double grief that rarely gets named: grieving your loved one and grieving the version of your own life you had to set aside * Why guilt, resentment, and 'what if' thinking are normal, and what suppressing them actually costs you * What does survival mode do to your body, your focus, and your ability to see past today * One honest step toward acknowledging what you've lost without rushing toward fixing it

When Relationships Are Complicated—Navigating Care with Tension

Not every caregiving story starts from a place of closeness. For many of us, caregiving happens within relationships that are already carrying the weight of unresolved history, emotional distance, or a family dynamic that was complicated long before anyone needed care. In this episode, we're talking about what it actually looks like to navigate caregiving inside those relationships. That means the relationship with the person you're caring for, sibling dynamics that are absent, unequal, or in conflict, and the broader family and community web that pulls on you, whether it's helping or not. This is also a personal one. I'm sharing part of my own story, what it meant to step into caregiving largely alone, within a family with its own particular shape, and what I felt when I realized that was just the reality I was working within. You don't have to have a perfect relationship to be a good caregiver. This episode is for everyone who has ever shown up for someone while also wishing things were different.

What You Need to Know (And Ask) Before You Need It

You've started the conversation. Now what? What should you actually ask? In this episode, I share my experience learning my parents' wishes by listening and watching, and the cost of not having things documented legally. I walk through 6 essential categories of questions that can help you prepare and reduce future stress. You'll learn what questions to ask in each category, why each one matters, and how to take it one conversation at a time.

The Conversation You Keep Putting Off—And How to Start It

In this episode, I share my experience trying to have these (health, aging, end of life) conversations with my parents: what made them hard, the cost of not having legal documentation, and how to approach them imperfectly. Key Takeaway: Pick one conversation prompt this week and try it to open the door with your loved one or even friend (if you want to try it on someone else, non-family first).  This episode is for anyone hesitant to start or who tried, and it didn't go as well as you'd have hoped.

How to Find Caregiving Resources in Your Area (A Step-by-Step Guide)

You know what to expect when searching for resources (from Episode 16). Now, how do you actually find them? In this episode, I walk you through a step-by-step guide: search strategies that work, 12 key resource types to look for, bonus methods (Facebook groups, YouTube, nonprofits), and how to evaluate whether a resource is a good fit. You'll also learn: How to search • What to look for on websites and reviews • What questions to ask when you call • How to visit facilities in person • Practical next steps once you find options. Key Takeaway: Pick 2-3 resource types this week and search for them in your area. Start building your own local resource list. This episode gives you the tools to find help one step at a time.