The Sandwich Generation | The Portal | The Divergence | The Nadir

Our friendships in our 30s and 40s (and 50s), in other words.

Time was, I sat on my friend’s lawn about two-three years ago, and an old friend from church (who I since lost touch with) said this, thinking he was profound in the moment: “It’s crazy how as you have kids, your parents are also getting older…”

That’s not crazy. It’s just aging and years and numbers moving upward, which is how math and life generally work. But yes, this does happen, and economists / “thought leaders” even have a term for it: The Sandwich Generation. That means you’re potentially caring for someone above (parent) and below (child) while also working and trying to please your boss, etc.

The Sandwich Generation

Anne HP, over on Substack, has a similar term for ages about 37 to 45, but for women: “The Portal.”