What a 50 Year Old Box of Pastels Taught me about GRIEF

I used to do Walk and Talks. Join me while I clean a box of old Rembrandt pastels, probably about 50 years old, to get ready for using color in my art class. This is a Work and Talk: just my hands, a sponge, and a conversation about grief, caregiving, faith, growing up in a disfunctional home as the family fixer, and finding out who's under all the layers at 61. Every pastel looked like mud on the outside. Underneath was permanent red, blue violet, burnt sienna and a mauve straight out of the 80s. I didn't plan the comparison, but it found me. If you've cared for an aging parent, or you're wondering what comes next, I hope this keeps you company. Finally, what would you tell your younger self? Let me know in the comments. Want your own box of pastels? Here's a popular set: https://amzn.to/4yZZoi9 (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.) Chapters 00:00 Cleaning a 50-year-old box of pastels 01:17 From Walk and Talk to Work and Talk 01:54 Grief, caregiving and finally having time to think 03:51 Growing up in dysfunction and becoming the fixer 05:34 "Please don't ever identify me as a victim" 06:42 Trauma, my 20s and 30s, and living overseas 10:38 Back in Virginia, marriage and divorce 12:16 Moving home to help my parents age in place 14:16 What the pastels have to do with it 16:17 The Lord sees the heart 18:01 I'm 61 and it's not over 19:56 What caregiving really demands 21:21 Opening the box: who's under the layers 24:54 What I'd tell my younger self 26:52 Once your parents are gone, they're gone 28:34 God's plan and purpose for every life 30:27 Be present or live in regret 32:51 Waiting to be picked up and used 34:21 Gen X and probably-toxic pigments 36:21 Finishing up (quiet working) 42:48 Ready for the next chapter