By Kathryn Dansky, PhD
Kathryn Dansky
When my mother suffered a stroke and moved into Assisted Living, I became a member of the “RollAboard” generation. Despite a full-time job and a family, I threw some things into my carry-on luggage and went to visit her in Florida as often as I could. This kind of family crisis forces one to face the reality of aging parents head on. In addition to dealing with my mother’s acute care issues, I found myself fielding questions from siblings and family members, making decisions about follow-up care and wading through insurance paperwork, all while trying to manage my own work.
Katy Butler, author of Knocking on Heaven’s Door, writes about the challenges she faced when, living thousands of miles from her parents, she learned that her father had been hospitalized with a stroke. She coins the phrase “RollAboard Generation” for the situation that many of us find ourselves in, i.e. managing our own lives while flying cross-country to manage the myriad of challenges encountered when a parent is given a terminal diagnosis. In this poignant memoir, Katy Butler asks the provocative questions: “When does death stop being a curse and become a blessing?” “Where is the line between saving a life and prolonging a dying?” Knocking on Heaven’s Door argues that modern medicine’s focus on prolonging life often creates more suffering than it prevents.
The Conversation Project in Boulder County is proud to sponsor “An evening with KATY BUTLER”. Katy speaks, answers questions and is available during refreshments and a book signing afterwards. The event is at Congregation Har Hashem, 3950 Baseline Road, Boulder, on April 18, 2018, from 7 – 9 p.m. Register at http://theconversationprojectinboulder.org
Sponsored by: The Conversation Project in Boulder County