Making Smiles From Sandwiches

When I heard about the sandwich generation for the first time, I assumed I was part of it.  I, being the fourth of five children, had parents a little older than most of my friends' parents, and I, being a late starter having children, am the parent of a teenager.  So I am sandwiched between  having the privilege of helping my mom out when I can and running my daughter hither and yon.

When I allowed myself to delve a little deeper, though, I realized that every generation is a sandwich generation - my generation just thinks of it through more of a me-centered prism.  I never gave it a second thought when my grandmothers lived with us while I was growing up.  Multiple generations living together used to be a way of life, and it was a way of life that benefited everyone.

More families with two breadwinners have definitely made it more difficult for everyone to live together, but there is still no shortage of families caring for children and assisting with the needs of aging parents at the same time.  I think we just look at it much more now from the perspective of the stress it places on the caregivers, and rightly so.  Faster paced lives, more activities, the need to be everywhere at once - it can all seem just too much.

While caregiving is a great responsibility, it is also such a gift!  I wouldn't trade my days of playing cards with my mother's mother or sitting next to her at church stroking the fox fur around her neck while she slipped me cherry lifesavers; nor would I give up my memories of sitting at my father's mother's vanity playing with the bright red lipstick and stark white powder while she cooked cornbread and beans for dinner.  

Timesavers came to be from a very specific philosophy - when we are able to help families who are stretched too thin from a time standpoint, and when we find the right caregivers to build a trust relationship with our clients, we are enhancing the lives of both our clients and our caregivers.  We are a service based in finding the ways to make a family's time spent with loved ones the very best of times, the times from which their memories will bring smiles for years and generations to come.  We are a service intended to make the difference that matters.

Life's Chauffeur

When you think of a chauffeur, you probably think of movie stars, political big shots, or Donald Trump.  But everyone's life could use a chauffeur!  Because all it really means is you get a little help getting from one place to another.  Whether you need to shuttle to the airport or go to the grocery store, having some company along the way is never a bad thing.

We were so very fortunate this week to receive a call from a sweet older gentleman trying to figure out how to get from Bowling Green to Pensacola to see his brother who was hospitalized.  In our world, getting older means classifying someone as "older" is relative - this particular gentleman is 91 years old.  After many phone calls, Facebook posts and questions and lots of offers of financial help from great friends, conversations with the Pensacola hospital, several airlines, and then the gentleman's son, we got it figured out!  Chauffeuring to the airport was never so useful or so enriching for our driver!

Now, this is not to say that a special night out isn't a good reason to have a chauffeur.  What could be more relaxing than sitting in the back seat of a luxury sedan with your sweetie while being driven to a great restaurant, play or concert?

And then there's the matter of getting to the big box store, parking a mile away and having to bag, box and load all of those items alone.  Why not have a driver and helper along? 

You see, we don't think "help" is a bad word - it isn't a sign of weakness or dependency.  "Help" is a gift we are all able to provide in one way or another.  And in our case, part of the help we provide is with a chauffeur service - it's part of the difference that matters.  So whether going to the airport, the hairdresser, or out for a night on the town, let us help!  You deserve it!

Concierge Me!

            And today I begin blogging in earnest!  Things are certainly exciting at Timesavers – we are offering more and new services, have an office space that is inhabited by real live human beings part-time, and have hired some new employees to add to our roster of outstanding and caring individuals whose only goal is to make the difference that matters for you and your family.

            Timesavers is a concierge service, but that seems awfully high-falutin’.  “Concierge” is just a fancy word for doing all those little things you don’t have time to finish or that just plain make you crazy!  You know, the post office, the dry cleaners, the pet store, the grocery, having the oil changed in the car … on and on it goes!

            Typically, a day in the life of one of our great staff might include picking up fresh produce from the farmers’ market, picking up the dry cleaning, standing in line to get license plates renewed at the clerk’s office, then going to a client’s home to do laundry, change the beds, and fix a light supper.  And if you look at this list, it might just hit you that if you do all of those things in a day yourself, you don’t have time to go to your own job or time to enjoy your family, or time to be at peace.

            Timesavers has a philosophy – we are locally owned and believe our community is the best around and we want our clients to be able to breathe in the Bowling Green air and experience all it has to offer without the mind clutter that can make days so long and stress so overwhelming.  We want to make that effort that allows you to say “wow, my weekend was fantastic because someone I trust helped me do all of my errands and little jobs during the week.”  We want to be your someone to trust!  Visit us beginning Monday, September 10, 2012, on Monday and Wednesday afternoons inside First Choice Home Medical in Thoroughbred Square beside Rafferty’s.  We look forward to being the difference that matters in your life!