Non-Fiction Pick of the Week: Welcome to the Departure Lounge

Welcome to the Departure Lounge: adventures in mothering mother by Meg Federico 2009

Adventures in Mothering Mother is the subtitle of a poignant memoir by Meg Federico. Welcome to the Departure Lounge is a story that will resonate with anyone who has an aging parent in need of care. The author's eighty-year-old mother, Addie, lives with her second husband,Walter who has Alzheimer's Disease. Addie also suffers from forgetfulness and she has recently taken a bad fall. Meg's life is turned upside down as she tries to manage her own household in Halifax with frequent trips to New Jersey where her mother lives. She dubs the house "The Departure Lounge" for all the comings and goings of hired help, constant changes that have become the norm, and the "just plain loopiness" in the home as Addie and Walter "regress into their terrible teens."
The book is a real testament to what many families go through as parents age. There are some touching scenes, a lot of sadness, and some amusing parts too. My father suffered with Alzheimer's and this book rings true. As my mother said often "You have to laugh or you would never stop crying."