Many women enter motherhood with little preparation for the incredibly important, yet demanding job role before them. Taking Care of Mama is a conversational encouragement for anyone who is a mother or about to become one. At the heart of this book is the theme of mothers learning to look after themselves, while they are simultaneously looking after their little ones. It can be easy to lose oneself while meeting the family demands, but in order for mama to give her best to her husband and children, she must acknowledge that she is neither a superwoman nor a robot, but instead, she is a human being like the other members of her family. Mothers have needs themselves which must be met, including being able to understand emotions and feelings, holistically aiming to nourish themselves, being surrounded by a good community, and choosing to discover the beauty and joy in being mothers.

Many older adults are spending their golden years taking care of a spouse, elderly parent, or other relative. My book tells one such storythe story of a four-year journey my siblings and I took when our very independent mother had cancer surgery at age ninety. It tells of her resistance to some of her helpers and our struggles trying to have a normal life while caring for her. It tells also of the difficult decisions made on her behalf, especially that final decision to place her in a nursing facility. Two sisters born a decade apart to the same woman felt they were raised by different mothers. The older sister felt treated like a distant relative in the home but with responsibility for the care and behavior of the younger two, while the younger sister was the baby of the family and loved by all. It tells of the double standard prevalent in the South during the first five decades of the twentieth century and how proper Southern ladies were expected to conduct themselves. My story also reveals how someone who felt she was not cared for by her mother can find the courage and stamina to care for that mother when she can no longer care for herself. Research done after the fact is recorded to encourage and help the readers experience less confusion and heartache, and to have an easier time with care taking and decision making if any have to take a similar journey.

In Father to the Man, author Mike Rust explores the mechanics of caring for your parents--everything from establishing power of attorney to making sure money is invested well.

After eight years of taking care of my aging mother who had suffered a stroke, the onset of Alzheimer's, and the likelihood of schizophrenia, I dare you not to lose your mind amid the drama-queen antics and the constant need for immediate gratification. What makes this book different from others like it is the inescapable fact my mother had a gift. She was a psychic medium with a proven track record that helped a lot of people. On the other hand, her endless psychic channeling and nonstop conversations with the supernatural world made it very challenging for doctors and nurses to do their jobs. Living with Mom was a roller-coaster ride filled with physical, mental, and emotional challenges. It was a journey filled with aimlessness frustration and numerous events that were beyond belief. I will share with you situations that will require you to think fast on your feet. Things you can't learn from books. Little solutions that will help you save money and a few big things to watch out for so you don't lose everything. But that's not the only thing this book is about. I will reintroduce you to something that you have already experienced many times in your life and took it for granted. A secret of the universe that God had given to each of us. This is something that is instinctive to all animals, religions teach it, and scientists are close to finding its true origin.

For the Love of Mama is a candid and explicit look into the life of a young, confused woman through the eyes of her daughter who is trying to make sense of her life while trying to find her own way. Mama made many choices and suffered the consequences of these choices she made based on her immediate needs for a specific season in her life. The book shows how her decisions not only affected her, but how these decisions also affected her children who basically went through life, trying to find out who they were and where they belonged. The book shows how on one hand, her children grew up with a desire for the “proud look” they had witnessed from their youth and, on the other hand, the humbleness she always seemed to possess. They each tried to blend the two and ended up with an insatiable need to prove something to the world and to themselves that could not be satisfied. None of them knew who they really were. They just imitated people they saw and wanted to be like without stopping to count the cost. You will witness in For the Love of Mama how the seeds of God’s grace and mercy prevailed throughout Mama’s life. For the Love of Mama will touch your heart, and it is guaranteed to stir your emotions. You will agree that Mama was really something special and God truly had His hands on her all her life.

In the lush North Carolina foothills, the Moon women have put down roots: matriarch Marvelle Moon, who’s losing her grip on the world after more than eighty years of life; her daughters, Ruth Ann and Cassandra; and Ruth Ann’s nineteen-year-old daughter, Ashley, fresh out of rehab, unmarried, and three months pregnant. Despite Ruth Ann’s best efforts to live a life that’s all her own, her family is coming together around her. Marvelle and Ashley need a place to live and Ruth Ann is unable to turn them away; and her womanizing ex-husband has been coming around again, dredging up the past. Now a flurry of outbursts, emotions, and outrages is shattering Ruth Ann’s separate peace. For here is Ashley, who has spent nineteen years running furiously away from home, now finding herself on a strange journey with her unraveling grandmother. And here is Cassandra, protected by layers of obesity and loneliness, wondering how to put magic back in her life. And Marvelle, slowly losing touch with reality, privately contemplating the story of her life and the secret that would change everything for everyone—if they only knew.... By turns fierce and tender, harrowing and heartbreaking, Moon Women resonates with emotional power, holding us captive under its beguiling spell.

My purpose for writing this book is to encourage teenagers, young ladies, and women not to make the mistakes I made. I realize that "self-experience" is the best teacher, but sometimes one can learn from another's experiences. I pray this is one of those cases. I hope this book will be an inspiration in some "small" way! Read and Enjoy. May God bless each of you,