Recently, I had the personal experience of both of my parents, who are in their late 80's, having big life transitions to deal with at the same time. My sisters and I were unprepared for this, and were suddenly called on to help. We had to drop everything at various points from January through March. As is usual in this situation, we lost wages and income as well as sleep and time and commitment for our own self-care. I'd like to share some of the insights I have after my experience, now that things have calmed down.

1. Try to stay ahead of changes that can happen suddenly. Talk with your aging parents, find out if they have legal documents you should know about. Talk with them about becoming a co-trustee and/or power of attorney "just in case."

2. Make sure you have your self-care in place. Take walks every chance you get. Meditate, exercise as often as possible, breath deeply, drink water, eat as healthfully as possible.

3. Talk with other family members, friends, colleagues, therapists...it's so important to have a community of people you can reach out to for support and guidance.

4. Get support from your homeopath—a constitutional remedy can be very helpful during stressful times.