GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 35
ask dr. gramma karen
Grandparents, it might be time to recalculate
BY KAREN L. RANCOURT
F
or many grandparents, my husband Gary and myself included, our mantra has been "We
don't want to be an unnecessary burden on our children or grandchildren." To that end,
we've followed healthy lifestyle habits, we've made ourselves as financially stable as possible, and we've made sure that all our legal documents are in good order.
However, with the onset of the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), this road map that
we've laid out for how we want to lead our lives has required some unexpected rerouting. It's
as if the GPS system for our life journey has announced, "Recalculating. Recalculating."
Recalculating our independence
We elders take great pride in our independence, and we strive mightily to maintain it,
sometimes to our own detriment! For example, when information about the coronavirus was
first coming to light, many elders ignored the fact that their advanced age made them more
vulnerable to death from the disease than their younger counterparts. They pushed back
when told that they to needed to curtail face-to-face interactions: "What do you mean I can't
see my grandchildren?!" At first, many grandparents found this dictum unimaginable, but
most have since come around in the face of irrefutable data.
"
"
"You may not control all the events that happen to you,
but you can decide not to be reduced by them."
Because we elders are more at risk, this requires us to practice disciplined social distancing.
One requirement of doing so can mean foregoing something in which we take great pride,
that is, our independence - doing for ourselves and taking care of ourselves. Under current
circumstances with the coronavirus, we may have to let others help us. For example, Gary
and I have had two offers from younger couples that they grocery shop for us and leave the
groceries by our door. We haven't as yet taken them up on this kind offer, but circumstances
may require us to do so in the future. For many of us elders, being dependent on others is
something that may take some getting used to.
35 GRAND
SPRING 2020
Continued on next page
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0994809700/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=grandmagazi0d-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0994809700&linkId=c0cf2342749a51234e00421ef2df453e
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003B6QYSW/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=grandmagazi0d-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B003B6QYSW&linkId=74a78ba0a510c9871c2e38f745d59213
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020
Contents
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 1
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 2
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 3
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - Contents
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 5
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 6
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 7
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 8
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 9
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 10
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 11
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 12
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 13
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 14
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 15
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 16
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 17
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 18
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 19
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 20
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 21
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 22
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 23
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 24
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 25
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 26
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 27
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 28
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 29
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 30
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 31
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 32
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 33
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 34
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 35
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 36
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 37
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 38
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2020 - 39
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2023winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2022fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2022summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2022spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2022winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2021fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2021summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2021spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2021winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2020fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2020fall_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2020summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2020spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2020winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20191112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20190910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20190708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20190506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20190304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20190102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20181112_drm
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20181112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20180910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20180708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20180506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20180304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20180102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20171112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20170910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20170708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20170506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20170304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20170102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20161112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20160910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20160708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20160506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20160304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20160102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20151112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20150910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20150708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20150506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20150304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20150102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/201401112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20140910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20140708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20140506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20140304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20140102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20131112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20130910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20130708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20130506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20130304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20130102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20121112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20120910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20120708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20120506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20120304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20120102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20111112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20110910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20110708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20110506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20110304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20110102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20101112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20100910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20100708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20100506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20100304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/201001_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200912_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200911_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200909_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200908_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200907_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200906_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200905_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20080910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200904_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200903_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200902_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20081112_v6
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com