Lauren Flake: Losing my mom to Alzheimer's as a young mom

01/17/22 • 33 min

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Lauren Flake is a wife, mom to two girls, watercolor artist, seventh-generation Texan, and early-onset Alzheimer's daughter. She is the author and illustrator of two award-winning children's books for grieving preschoolers, Where Did My Sweet Grandma Go? and Where Did My Sweet Grandpa Go?, and a devotional for women, Though I Walk through the Valley.
Lauren's mom was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease in 2013 when Lauren graduated from college and then sadly passed away when Lauren was a young mother. Our conversation recounts the intense difficulties of caring for a declining parent when you still need your mom so much and the grief Lauren experienced and still experiences in her life.
Quotable Quotes:
“My grandparents died in their early 90s. I had them for a long time and they had a full life and I grieved the relationship we had that was lost. But then with my mom, I grieved that but I also grieved all these things that she’s missing.

“We’re so naive about grief. You’re never done with grief. You always grieve. Don’t tell me to stop grieving; that’s like telling me to stop loving. Grief is just the other side of love.”

We also talked about how Lauren has transformed her experiences into resources for others who are walking the same path.
She hosts a caregivers support page called Daughters of Dementia
Her books for preschoolers:
Where did my sweet Grandma go?
Where did my sweet Grandpa go?
A devotional for grieving women:
Though I walk through the valley
Find Lauren here:
@loveofdixie on Facebook and Instagram
LaurenFlake.com

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“We’re so naive about grief. You’re never done with grief. You always grieve. Don’t tell me to stop grieving; that’s like telling me to stop loving. Grief is just the other side of love.”

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Previous Episode

Amy Cirksena: Digging deep into the Stay at home mom adjustment

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Amy is a stay at home mom of two boys, ages 4 & 2, living in Maryland.
Amy and I dig deep into the question of "why is the transition to SAHM SO HARD?"
We talk about invisible work; loss of identity; not contributing to family finances; choosing to stay at home vs. not having a choice; the sameness of stay-at-home-mom life, no validation from co-workers or bosses; and discouragement from friends who say things like “but you’re so smart...I don't know why you're staying home with your kids."
This episode is honest, validating, encouraging, and affirming to stay at home parents everywhere.
Quotable Quotes:
Amy: (tongue in cheek) “I came in to being a stay a home mom, as a NEW mom, I was like, “I GOT THIS! It’s fine! It’ll be fine! I have a college degree...I’m a SMART person! I can handle children!”
Brittany: “Visible work is so much easier to reward, either with money or a high five (be that physical or metaphorical. But invisible work, which is THE work of motherhood, is so easy to dismiss. You don’t see it so you don’t reward it.”

"We have to silence to voices in society by making our own voice louder in our lives."
“Maybe that’s the real work every day as a woman—who is also a stay at home mom—is keeping yourself aware and mentally healthy, because I think the default so many times is negativity.”
Find Amy here:
Instagram @amy_cirksena
She also writes about love, loss and motherhood as a contributor for HVFH and Still Standing Magazine.

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Next Episode

Melissa Davis: Recovering your body after pregnancy

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Melissa Davis is a certified Wellness Coach and Personal Trainer. A mom of 2 boys, she has been in the wellness industry for 18 years and truly enjoys helping people reach their wellness goals.
In this interview, Melissa and I discuss how hard it can be to recover after having a baby. She shares her personal story of having postpartum depression, health struggles, and an unexpected surgery after her second son was born and how difficult it was to get back into fitness, even though she is a personal trainer.
Wherever you are in your fitness life, out conversation is candid, hopeful and guilt-free.
Quotable Quotes:
‘Acknowledge the fact that this is going to be a process. It took 9 months to get the baby here. It’s going to take at least 9 months to put yourself back together. And that’s going to be a whole new you. That’s not going to be who you were 9 months ago—that’s a totally different person.”
“Every postpartum is going to have its own story, just like every birth is going to have its own story.”
Resources mentioned:
Atomic Habits by James Clear
If you'd like to contact Melissa, her email is [email protected]

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