March 10, 2025
Caregiving & Commerce: The Delicate Balance
Happy Women's History Month!
On this episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Mrs. Aisha Taylor Issah, who founded TheSistahShop.com, an e-commerce store featuring all Black Women Owned Businesses. We filmed this episode a couple of weeks before she closed the doors of her brick-and-mortar store in Atlanta, Georgia, and had the chance to learn more about her caregiving journey. Tune in for laughs and real talk about caring for a parent living with Dementia while also balancing entrepreneurship, parenting, and more.
Notes:
• Early signs of dementia appeared as repetition, short-term memory loss, and difficulty with everyday tasks
• Family history of Alzheimer's helped with recognizing symptoms and accepting the diagnosis
• Routine plays a crucial role in managing Alzheimer's symptoms and improving quality of life
• Shared caregiving responsibilities between siblings makes the journey more manageable
• Finding the right living arrangement (memory care facility) dramatically improved both caregiver and patient wellbeing
• Establishing boundaries and giving yourself grace are essential for caregiver mental health
• Entrepreneurship can continue alongside caregiving with proper support systems
• Savoring good moments and finding humor helps balance the emotional weight of caregiving
Visit thesistahshop.com to shop Aisha's store today!
Host: @jsmilescomedy
Producer: @MiaHallTV
Editor: @annelisetv2624
DP: Isaiah Joseph
#CaregivingJourney
#DementiaAwareness
#AlzheimersCare
#CaregiverSupport
#HumorInCaregiving
#endalz
#memorycare
"Alzheimer's is heavy but we ain't gotta be!"
IG: https://www.instagram.com/parentingup
FB: https://www.facebook.com/parentingup
YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDGFb1t2RC_m1yMnFJ2T4jw
Patreon: https://patreon.com/jsmilesstudios
TEXT 'PODCAST" to +1 404 737 1449 - to give J topic ideas, feedback, say hi!
Be sure to leave us a review!
00:22 - Women's History Month Celebration
06:12 - Meeting Aisha & Her Caregiving Journey
13:41 - Early Signs of Alzheimer's
23:05 - Family Support & Shared Caregiving
33:10 - Finding Proper Care & Establishing Routine
46:23 - The Sister Shop & Entrepreneurship Balance
WEBVTT
00:00:00.220 --> 00:00:01.723
Happy Women's History Month.
00:00:01.723 --> 00:00:14.273
We are celebrating equality, inclusion, diversity, everything fantastic and fabulous about being the majority of humans on this planet.
00:00:14.273 --> 00:00:17.545
What's up Parenting, up family?
00:00:17.545 --> 00:00:19.210
It's your girl, jay Smiles.
00:00:19.210 --> 00:00:21.849
We about to get into it.
00:00:21.849 --> 00:00:23.797
Right now, I'm here at the sister shop.
00:00:23.797 --> 00:00:24.318
We about to get into it.
00:00:24.318 --> 00:00:25.801
Right now, I'm here at the sister shop.
00:00:27.103 --> 00:00:36.097
But then, when you dug a, little deeper, you learned that, yeah, we're the largest and fastest growing, but we are also the least funded, the least earning, the least supported, I'm like.
00:00:36.097 --> 00:00:40.850
So, yeah, y'all are praising the fact that we're starting all these businesses, but what are we doing to help these businesses grow?
00:00:40.850 --> 00:00:42.880
What are we doing to help these businesses scale?
00:00:43.000 --> 00:00:45.945
And so that's why the focus has been on my position.
00:00:45.945 --> 00:00:52.622
We're about to have a phenomenal conversation on entrepreneurship, commerce and caregiving.
00:00:52.622 --> 00:01:02.487
Parenting Up Caregiving Adventures with Comedian J Smiles is the intense journey of unexpectedly being fully responsible for my mama.
00:01:02.487 --> 00:01:14.090
For over a decade I've been chipping away at the unknown, advocating for her and pushing Alzheimer's awareness on anyone and anything with a heartbeat.
00:01:14.090 --> 00:01:17.986
Spoiler alert this shit is heavy.
00:01:17.986 --> 00:01:20.128
That's why I started doing comedy.
00:01:20.128 --> 00:01:22.147
So be ready for the jokes.
00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:32.367
Caregiver newbies, ogs and village members just willing to prop up a caregiver you are in the right place.
00:01:32.367 --> 00:01:35.489
Hi, this is Zeddy.
00:01:35.489 --> 00:01:40.911
I hope you enjoy my daughter's podcast.
00:01:40.911 --> 00:01:42.033
Is that okay?
00:01:42.033 --> 00:01:52.647
Today's supporter shout out is from YouTube at my Lynn Smith one, six, eight, three.
00:01:52.647 --> 00:01:57.792
Being a caregiver often requires putting the needs of others above your own.
00:01:57.792 --> 00:02:01.150
You are demonstrating your love through your sacrifice.
00:02:01.150 --> 00:02:03.507
Exclamation point heart emoji.
00:02:03.507 --> 00:02:04.811
Thank you so much.
00:02:04.811 --> 00:02:09.786
Now, if you want to receive a supporter shout out, you know what to do.
00:02:09.786 --> 00:02:13.170
Leave a review on where.
00:02:13.170 --> 00:02:15.540
Yep, we really want you to do.
00:02:15.540 --> 00:02:18.025
Apple podcast, that's right.
00:02:18.025 --> 00:02:22.051
If not YouTube, ig, that'll work too.
00:02:22.051 --> 00:02:23.594
Thank you so much.
00:02:23.594 --> 00:02:30.480
Ig that'll work too.
00:02:30.480 --> 00:02:32.543
Thank you so much.
00:02:32.643 --> 00:02:33.963
Caregiving and commerce the delicate balance.
00:02:33.963 --> 00:02:34.183
What's up?
00:02:34.183 --> 00:02:34.585
Family?
00:02:34.585 --> 00:02:39.709
You know I get excited when we are on site just like that.
00:02:39.709 --> 00:02:40.590
And boom today.
00:02:40.590 --> 00:02:41.431
And boom today.
00:02:41.431 --> 00:02:44.552
I have a sore roar of mine.
00:02:44.552 --> 00:02:56.770
So, yes, y'all gonna hate, because we might, oop, we might throw up the mid, we might set out a step, and y'all got to keep watching because you ain't got no choice.
00:02:56.770 --> 00:03:08.314
It's Women's History Month and my actual initiation date happens to be on International Women's Day, march 8th.
00:03:08.314 --> 00:03:13.770
Listen, there's a whole lot of love going on and we are in the sister shop.
00:03:13.770 --> 00:03:17.127
If you don't know about it, you're going to learn today.
00:03:17.127 --> 00:03:18.330
What's up, aisha?
00:03:18.330 --> 00:03:22.515
Hey, so-and-so, that thing sounds so good.
00:03:22.515 --> 00:03:25.372
It's like the first day I was able to say it baby.
00:03:26.099 --> 00:03:32.713
Now let me tell y'all why we chose this phenomenal soror of mine for this episode.
00:03:32.713 --> 00:03:41.329
Yeah, she's a Delta Girl girl, so that makes it all extra juicy and fabulous for me.
00:03:41.329 --> 00:03:49.080
She's an entrepreneur, but this is the Parenting Up podcast, Y'all.
00:03:49.080 --> 00:03:50.665
Her mama has Alzheimer's.
00:03:50.665 --> 00:03:51.348
Did y'all know that?
00:03:51.530 --> 00:03:52.834
How many of y'all knew that you?
00:03:52.875 --> 00:04:02.665
may or may not have known that she is so busy in these entrepreneur streets selling stuff and helping y'all sell stuff.
00:04:02.665 --> 00:04:03.711
You may not not have known.
00:04:03.711 --> 00:04:11.170
Not only is she a mother, she is a caregiver, she is smack dab in that sandwich generation.
00:04:11.170 --> 00:04:16.084
She has a little one and she has a mom who has all sides.
00:04:16.084 --> 00:04:23.988
So we're about to dig into all of that, pull it apart and figure out how my sorrel holds it all together with them.
00:04:23.988 --> 00:04:26.805
Five glasses Y'all ready, nice.
00:04:27.110 --> 00:04:29.545
I knew you was coming, so I had to find something in the crate.
00:04:29.545 --> 00:04:32.562
That's what we do.
00:04:32.843 --> 00:04:33.547
That's what we do.
00:04:33.547 --> 00:04:38.425
Okay, we're going to get all into the sister shop.
00:04:38.425 --> 00:04:46.970
Currently we are sitting in her brick and mortar, but we are going all online, right?
00:04:46.970 --> 00:04:54.879
Yes, we're getting rid of this just so that she can give you all more options and get it to you to service it faster.
00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:57.567
So don't worry about figuring out what the address is.
00:04:57.567 --> 00:04:59.271
We're gonna go to the dot com.
00:04:59.271 --> 00:05:00.380
That's how you're gonna get to her.
00:05:00.380 --> 00:05:00.781
That's right.
00:05:00.781 --> 00:05:04.608
But now we're gonna ease it to your mom.
00:05:04.608 --> 00:05:08.401
Yeah, okay, parenting our podcast is around.
00:05:08.401 --> 00:05:15.172
How do we fortify ourselves as caregivers to be there for our loved ones?
00:05:15.172 --> 00:05:18.862
How long has your mom had alzheimer's?
00:05:20.202 --> 00:05:24.908
so, you know, um, the progression, right right, doesn't start as Alzheimer's.
00:05:24.908 --> 00:05:36.603
So we actually began to see, you know, the early signs of dementia over 10 years ago, maybe a little longer than that, maybe 12 years ago, if not more.
00:05:36.603 --> 00:05:44.115
Unfortunately, the disease has been prevalent in my family, so my mom was not the first.
00:05:44.115 --> 00:05:53.084
You know, I certainly pay honor to and respect the memory of my aunt, my mom's sister and one of her best friends, who also, uh, had Alzheimer's and passed away in 2016.
00:05:53.084 --> 00:06:00.165
Um, my uncle, um, and also, many years ago, uh, suffered with Alzheimer's and passed away.
00:06:00.165 --> 00:06:04.000
Uh, so, um, our family wasn't unfamiliar with the disease.
00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:13.641
Unfortunately, um, unfortunately, um, but, yeah, my mom, um, has been dealing with it well over 10 to 12 years, if not more y'all heard, aunt, that's that Brooklyn coming out?
00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:24.908
okay, so I just want yeah, period, we in the ATM right now, but you know what I mean, and that's good, because my dad is from Queens, what is it?
00:06:24.908 --> 00:06:26.072
No, my okay.
00:06:26.072 --> 00:06:33.267
They say and uh, but my grandmother is from New Orleans.
00:06:33.267 --> 00:06:35.411
Okay, she made me say aunt.
00:06:35.411 --> 00:06:39.142
Okay, she was like, what you're not gonna do is sound like these other people.
00:06:39.142 --> 00:06:44.370
Yeah, okay, you're gonna pronounce all of the syllables Right right Now.
00:06:44.370 --> 00:06:48.836
You said that 10 years ago you all saw some signs.
00:06:49.639 --> 00:07:03.028
Let us know what that means, because a lot of times, people who are tuning into our podcast they're newbies and maybe no one in their family has ever had Alzheimer's and they don't know what the signs look like.
00:07:03.120 --> 00:07:03.379
How can?
00:07:03.321 --> 00:07:04.913
you tell the difference between hey, my mama is just, she had a bad night's sleep and just don't know what the signs look like?
00:07:04.913 --> 00:07:14.764
How can you tell the difference between a my mama is just she had a bad night's sleep and just can't find her purse versus this looks like what auntie had or what uncle had.
00:07:14.805 --> 00:07:17.951
Yeah, Um, you know, uh, repeating things.
00:07:17.951 --> 00:07:22.899
Um, you know, beginning to have more repetition of, you know, phrases, statements, questions.
00:07:22.899 --> 00:07:24.752
Uh, with repetition of, you know, phrases, statements, questions.
00:07:24.752 --> 00:07:29.172
With our mom it was more of the short-term memory that went immediately.
00:07:29.172 --> 00:07:30.898
She can remember things from 20 years ago.
00:07:30.898 --> 00:07:33.365
She couldn't remember you know what happened an hour ago.
00:07:33.365 --> 00:07:35.730
So we began to see a lot of that.
00:07:35.730 --> 00:07:40.826
And then, you know, as it progresses, you get more into the frustration.
00:07:40.826 --> 00:07:44.391
You know, not really remembering how to do certain tasks.
00:07:44.391 --> 00:07:46.574
You know the mood changes.
00:07:46.574 --> 00:07:55.894
You know, thankfully, my sister and it's just the two of us is a mental therapist, licensed professional counselor, I should say, by trade and profession.
00:07:55.894 --> 00:08:06.740
So she is very knowledgeable, you know, of the clinical side of these types of diseases and we share in the caregiving task and I don't know what I would do without her.
00:08:06.781 --> 00:08:14.521
So, ayana, I love you um but yes, so, and aisha, okay, that part that sounds like yes a song.
00:08:14.721 --> 00:08:16.927
Well, you know um, so you know our parents.
00:08:16.927 --> 00:08:21.425
My sister was born in the 70s, I was born in the 80s so you know I'm named after um.
00:08:21.425 --> 00:08:24.151
The stevie wonder song um aisha.
00:08:24.151 --> 00:08:24.951
Isn't she lovely.
00:08:24.951 --> 00:08:44.610
That's about his daughter named aisha um, and I don't know where they got aiana from, but it means love or something like that but yes, we are.
00:08:44.630 --> 00:08:49.315
Aiana mom was struggling with tasks.
00:08:49.315 --> 00:08:53.020
What are a few examples of the tasks?
00:08:53.020 --> 00:08:55.505
Were they like household tasks?
00:08:55.505 --> 00:08:56.868
Was she still working?
00:08:56.868 --> 00:08:59.052
Was she driving?
00:08:59.052 --> 00:08:59.894
Was she?
00:08:59.894 --> 00:09:02.482
In new york was she in atlanta, so she was in new york.
00:09:02.923 --> 00:09:08.894
My mom was born in the South South Carolina but had been living in New York since she was 18 years old.
00:09:08.894 --> 00:09:09.902
You know, back in the day everybody.
00:09:09.902 --> 00:09:11.688
They graduated high school and they were out of there.
00:09:11.708 --> 00:09:16.072
So she followed her older sisters and brothers and came to New York and started working.
00:09:16.072 --> 00:09:22.431
So she's has that good Southern roots, but very much a city girl, and so this day is still very much a city girl.
00:09:22.431 --> 00:09:26.157
We did eventually move her here to Georgia, but she it was.
00:09:26.157 --> 00:09:27.559
It was not without kicking and screaming.
00:09:27.559 --> 00:09:43.325
Ok, and so she, you know, she was not working because she had been with her company for over 39 years 39 and a half years to be exact and they, they laid off everyone, they eliminated the department and they were moving everyone to another state.
00:09:43.325 --> 00:09:44.025
My mom was like I'm not going.
00:09:44.025 --> 00:09:47.551
They eliminated the department and they were moving everyone to another state.
00:09:47.551 --> 00:09:48.793
My mom was like I'm not going.
00:09:48.812 --> 00:09:52.177
So she actually had, just, you know, left that role, retired early from her job.
00:09:52.177 --> 00:10:06.682
She worked for MetLife Insurance Company processing death benefits for federal employees, ok, and then she did some low part time work here and there of time work here and there.
00:10:06.682 --> 00:10:11.100
And then that's when we began to see some of the challenges with the memory and the tasks and just remembering, you know how to do certain things around the house.
00:10:11.100 --> 00:10:13.187
You know, like where she put certain things.
00:10:13.187 --> 00:10:15.421
It was a lot of misplacing things, a lot of.
00:10:15.421 --> 00:10:20.068
I can't find this was after she retired.
00:10:20.409 --> 00:10:22.052
Yes, it became more obvious to you.
00:10:22.072 --> 00:10:24.350
Yes, yes, absolutely, there were were.
00:10:24.350 --> 00:10:27.145
No, she was perfectly fine while she was still working you know what?
00:10:27.626 --> 00:10:31.418
I have seen that be the case so often?
00:10:31.418 --> 00:10:37.354
Well, I shouldn't say I've seen, I have heard, yes, the feedback when the routine changes.
00:10:37.534 --> 00:11:20.533
Yeah, it seems to become more prevalent yes to family members or medical professors, which, in your case, with you and your sister, that's both family members and medical professors to say, hey, maybe like the routine for our LOs who may have some form of dementia is like duct tape together, and when you start to change, however they were going to work, or maybe the church or whoever uh, if their neighbors move or whatever they used to do on a daily basis those things, rather than saying, oh man, look at this new way I get to live, it's more like oh hell, what do I do now?
00:11:21.644 --> 00:11:40.624
yeah that's crazy and the routine, definitely, even now, at this stage of her disease, which is advanced, routine still matters, right, like it's very important to keep a routine to help them, uh, to just be in the best space possible in terms of mood, in terms of, um, you know, just cognitive, you know function, uh.
00:11:40.624 --> 00:11:43.249
So, as much as possible, we try to keep a routine with her.
00:11:43.249 --> 00:11:48.788
We learned, you know, a lot of trial and error and we've learned that keeping a routine works best.
00:11:48.788 --> 00:11:49.370
Yeah.
00:11:49.919 --> 00:11:55.211
So who told her hey, mama, you got it.
00:11:56.000 --> 00:12:08.023
So you know it's so funny to see how the disease manifests itself differently in different people Right, differently in different people Right.
00:12:08.023 --> 00:12:16.181
So with my aunt, she never really embraced or accepted the fact that she had the disease, was very defensive and, you know, did not ever really accept it.
00:12:16.181 --> 00:12:29.304
My mom, when she began to notice it I guess because we had just gone through with her sister she was much more verbal about it and aware of it.
00:12:29.304 --> 00:12:31.428
So she would tell us Really.
00:12:31.589 --> 00:12:36.466
Absolutely, you know she would say Marie, let me tell you something.
00:12:36.466 --> 00:12:37.548
Shout out, marie.
00:12:37.548 --> 00:12:44.548
Okay, I'm hoping that the universe is sending love offerings from Jasoniles to Mama Marie.
00:12:44.548 --> 00:12:47.114
I have not heard of an example.
00:12:47.159 --> 00:12:56.486
Listen, you need to take this show on the road to Marie, okay, because she a riot, okay, well listen, we going to come to Marie, we going to schedule with you, honey, let me tell you now, listen, we do travel, don't we team?
00:12:56.486 --> 00:12:58.261
Listen me and my team will travel.
00:12:58.261 --> 00:12:58.863
She's amazing.
00:12:59.243 --> 00:13:02.006
Can we borrow your light?
00:13:02.006 --> 00:13:03.908
Yeah Okay, Bring it on.
00:13:03.908 --> 00:13:09.655
Bring it on Because no, seriously, that is uncommon.
00:13:09.655 --> 00:13:20.399
Yeah Okay For a person in the early stages to actually say to their children hey, something is happening.
00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:22.245
Yeah, it's not quite right.
00:13:22.980 --> 00:13:32.883
I think I might be struggling with dementia and I mean she didn't necessarily call it that right, but she was definitely saying you know, I'm getting loose to forget things.
00:13:32.883 --> 00:13:54.101
Um one of her phrases she would say uh is my mind is going from me, you know things like that so, um, yeah, so she definitely definitely knew that it was happening and it made her very sad, of course, but she definitely made me sad the way you said it, yeah, but that's sweet, she's a sweet lady, and yeah.
00:13:54.162 --> 00:13:58.373
So so that you know, I thank God for that actually, though, because I think it helped.
00:13:58.373 --> 00:14:10.041
I know it helped, you know us to begin her caregiving because there wasn't any resistance, right?
00:14:10.041 --> 00:14:13.940
Whereas with our aunt, on the other hand, there was resistance and it was just the way that she dealt with it, you know, of no fault of her own.
00:14:13.940 --> 00:14:15.966
Everybody deals with it in different ways.
00:14:16.527 --> 00:14:19.422
Absolutely, absolutely so.
00:14:19.422 --> 00:14:35.263
With mom or your aunt or your uncle, with mom or your aunt or your uncle, are there stories or remembrances that you have that lean into a more humorous or lighthearted side?
00:14:35.263 --> 00:14:44.171
Here at the parenting up podcast, uh, jay smiles comedy we really hope to help.
00:14:44.171 --> 00:14:53.166
Especially newbie say listen, listen, yes, this shit is hard but there are bright spots where you can say you know what?
00:14:53.166 --> 00:14:53.405
That?
00:14:53.405 --> 00:14:54.750
That was kind of funny and that.
00:14:54.750 --> 00:15:01.525
And thank you to the universe for that moment where I could laugh, I could hug my elo and get through to the next moment.
00:15:01.525 --> 00:15:01.846
Yeah, absolutely.
00:15:01.846 --> 00:15:05.210
And that's why I said my mom is a riot, because even to this day, I mean, I could hug my LO and get through to the next one.
00:15:05.210 --> 00:15:05.830
Yeah, absolutely.
00:15:05.850 --> 00:15:09.254
And that's why I said my mom is a riot, because even to this day, I mean, she's hilarious.
00:15:09.254 --> 00:15:11.515
You never know what's going to come out of her mouth at any moment.
00:15:11.515 --> 00:15:17.892
And I tell my sister all the time like we have to thank God for these moments right, because there are so many hard moments.
00:15:18.379 --> 00:15:24.190
So when you do get a good moment, when you do get a funny moment, you have to thank God for it, and so there are many.
00:15:24.190 --> 00:15:27.815
I mean the beautiful thing about our family we're very close, knit back in Brooklyn.
00:15:27.815 --> 00:15:29.364
We all grew up in the same house, right?
00:15:29.364 --> 00:15:51.563
So my uncle had a three family home not the one that had Alzheimer's, but another uncle and so my my mom and dad and my sister and I were on the top floor, my aunt, who had Alzheimer's, on the second floor, the uncle who owned the home, was at the third floor, but then everybody came over at all different times, right?
00:15:51.563 --> 00:15:51.625
Um?
00:15:51.625 --> 00:15:52.166
And so we were very close.
00:15:52.166 --> 00:15:54.373
So we've got a lifetime from our childhood until we left that home just a few years ago.
00:15:54.393 --> 00:15:59.726
Um, you know of memories of good times, um, and a lot of that character, a lot of that fun and liveliness is still in my mom.
00:15:59.726 --> 00:16:03.764
You know, if you put some music on, she gonna cut a rug and not think twice about it.
00:16:03.764 --> 00:16:07.072
She loves loves to dance, she loves music, she loves men.
00:16:07.072 --> 00:16:16.192
Her and my dad were married for 46 years or something like that, and so my dad passed away a couple of years ago, in 2023.
00:16:16.192 --> 00:16:23.259
And then that's when our caregiving really kicked it up a notch, because we had to, you know, take over 100%.
00:16:23.259 --> 00:16:26.080
You know we were always there helping, but really take over 100%.
00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:33.484
And so she still talks about him and you know things we don't want to hear you know and how we got here, and all of that.
00:16:33.524 --> 00:16:39.895
And so, child, yeah, she a trip, she is a trip I'm telling you Please bring this show to a retailer, okay.
00:16:39.895 --> 00:16:42.802
Oh baby, I'm going to find it, I'm going to find it, I'm going to find it.
00:16:42.802 --> 00:16:44.123
Don't you worry about that.
00:16:44.123 --> 00:16:46.085
You're going to say stop texting me J.
00:16:46.105 --> 00:16:46.325
Smiles.
00:16:46.325 --> 00:16:49.067
I said we're going to set this up later.
00:16:49.067 --> 00:16:50.788
Hey, what's up?
00:16:50.788 --> 00:16:52.149
Parented Up family.
00:16:52.149 --> 00:16:53.009
Guess what.
00:16:53.009 --> 00:16:55.932
Have you ever wanted to connect with other caregivers?
00:16:55.932 --> 00:16:59.115
You want to see more behind-the-scenes footage?
00:16:59.115 --> 00:17:01.517
Want to know what me and Zeddy are doing?
00:17:01.517 --> 00:17:04.683
I know you do All things.
00:17:04.683 --> 00:17:10.728
Jsmiles are finally ready for you, Even when I go live.
00:17:10.728 --> 00:17:15.490
Do it now with us on Patreon.
00:17:15.490 --> 00:17:19.609
Join us in the Patreon community.
00:17:19.609 --> 00:17:21.897
Catch everything we're doing.
00:17:21.897 --> 00:17:25.249
Visit Patreoncom forward.
00:17:25.249 --> 00:17:29.570
Slash JSmilesStudios with an S.
00:17:29.570 --> 00:17:33.006
What are?
00:17:33.006 --> 00:17:43.991
The best way for me to put this is for you and your sister.
00:17:43.991 --> 00:17:45.134
It's not all.
00:17:45.134 --> 00:17:55.126
It sounds like you all have divided the roles fairly well, or you manage caring for your mom well as a team.
00:17:55.126 --> 00:17:59.704
You don't always hear that how y'all do that.
00:18:01.020 --> 00:18:06.439
So it has a lot to do with the way we were raised Okay, shout out to mama again and grandma.
00:18:06.439 --> 00:18:11.570
And we were just raised right like our family, and it runs through our family.
00:18:11.570 --> 00:18:22.567
So, while my sister and I, um, you know, are primarily responsible, really our whole family whenever asked or needed, or sometimes without being asked or needed, we'll, we'll pitch in and help.
00:18:22.567 --> 00:18:25.252
Uh, so we are very grateful and thankful.
00:18:25.252 --> 00:18:32.489
We were taught by our grandmothers you always stick together, you let nothing come between you, and that has stayed true to our family.
00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:34.428
This business is here because of my family.
00:18:34.428 --> 00:18:37.830
I would not be able to do any of this work without my family.
00:18:37.830 --> 00:18:42.109
So I know a lot of people have that testimony that you know they can't work with family.
00:18:42.109 --> 00:18:43.173
That is not my testimony.
00:18:43.173 --> 00:18:47.684
I know that's that you know they can't work with family.
00:18:47.684 --> 00:18:48.686
That is not my testimony and I'm thankful.
00:18:48.686 --> 00:18:49.167
I thank God for that.
00:18:49.167 --> 00:18:49.890
So, yeah, so it was just it was.
00:18:49.890 --> 00:18:50.269
It was no question.
00:18:50.269 --> 00:19:05.913
You know, like when, when my parents were living in New York and I was in New York and then in New Jersey, you know I was closer, so I did most of the you know daily things that they needed or whatever, but anything I couldn't do, especially so we kind of all the medical stuff I get to my sister right.
00:19:05.952 --> 00:19:18.782
So the appointments, the insurance questions, cause that's her area of expertise, you know any other regular tasks grocery shopping, whatever you know I would do, getting mommy's hair done, whatever Um, we just just did it, you know, didn't even think twice about it.
00:19:18.782 --> 00:19:25.461
Um, cause we all we got right and um, there's no reason why one of us should have to bear the burden alone, you know.
00:19:25.461 --> 00:19:38.355
And then when my parents, when we moved my parents down here at the time I was still living in New Jersey, so then they came more on my sister Right, and that ultimately really was the reason why I moved to Georgia so that I could help with my parents, because they were getting older.
00:19:38.500 --> 00:19:48.286
My mom's condition was worsening, my dad began to have some health challenges and I saw it was just becoming a lot on my sister, so that was really why my family and I ended up moving here.
00:00:00.220 --> 00:00:01.723
00:00:01.723 --> 00:00:14.273
00:00:14.273 --> 00:00:17.545
00:00:17.545 --> 00:00:19.210
00:00:19.210 --> 00:00:21.849
00:00:21.849 --> 00:00:23.797
00:00:23.797 --> 00:00:24.318
00:00:24.318 --> 00:00:25.801
00:00:27.103 --> 00:00:36.097
00:00:36.097 --> 00:00:40.850
00:00:40.850 --> 00:00:42.880
00:00:43.000 --> 00:00:45.945
00:00:45.945 --> 00:00:52.622
00:00:52.622 --> 00:01:02.487
00:01:02.487 --> 00:01:14.090
00:01:14.090 --> 00:01:17.986
00:01:17.986 --> 00:01:20.128
00:01:20.128 --> 00:01:22.147
00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:32.367
00:01:32.367 --> 00:01:35.489
00:01:35.489 --> 00:01:40.911
00:01:40.911 --> 00:01:42.033
00:01:42.033 --> 00:01:52.647
00:01:52.647 --> 00:01:57.792
00:01:57.792 --> 00:02:01.150
00:02:01.150 --> 00:02:03.507
00:02:03.507 --> 00:02:04.811
00:02:04.811 --> 00:02:09.786
00:02:09.786 --> 00:02:13.170
00:02:13.170 --> 00:02:15.540
00:02:15.540 --> 00:02:18.025
00:02:18.025 --> 00:02:22.051
00:02:22.051 --> 00:02:23.594
00:02:23.594 --> 00:02:30.480
00:02:30.480 --> 00:02:32.543
00:02:32.643 --> 00:02:33.963
00:02:33.963 --> 00:02:34.183
00:02:34.183 --> 00:02:34.585
00:02:34.585 --> 00:02:39.709
00:02:39.709 --> 00:02:40.590
00:02:40.590 --> 00:02:41.431
00:02:41.431 --> 00:02:44.552
00:02:44.552 --> 00:02:56.770
00:02:56.770 --> 00:03:08.314
00:03:08.314 --> 00:03:13.770
00:03:13.770 --> 00:03:17.127
00:03:17.127 --> 00:03:18.330
00:03:18.330 --> 00:03:22.515
00:03:22.515 --> 00:03:25.372
00:03:26.099 --> 00:03:32.713
00:03:32.713 --> 00:03:41.329
00:03:41.329 --> 00:03:49.080
00:03:49.080 --> 00:03:50.665
00:03:50.665 --> 00:03:51.348
00:03:51.530 --> 00:03:52.834
00:03:52.875 --> 00:04:02.665
00:04:02.665 --> 00:04:03.711
00:04:03.711 --> 00:04:11.170
00:04:11.170 --> 00:04:16.084
00:04:16.084 --> 00:04:23.988
00:04:23.988 --> 00:04:26.805
00:04:27.110 --> 00:04:29.545
00:04:29.545 --> 00:04:32.562
00:04:32.843 --> 00:04:33.547
00:04:33.547 --> 00:04:38.425
00:04:38.425 --> 00:04:46.970
00:04:46.970 --> 00:04:54.879
00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:57.567
00:04:57.567 --> 00:04:59.271
00:04:59.271 --> 00:05:00.380
00:05:00.380 --> 00:05:00.781
00:05:00.781 --> 00:05:04.608
00:05:04.608 --> 00:05:08.401
00:05:08.401 --> 00:05:15.172
00:05:15.172 --> 00:05:18.862
00:05:20.202 --> 00:05:24.908
00:05:24.908 --> 00:05:36.603
00:05:36.603 --> 00:05:44.115
00:05:44.115 --> 00:05:53.084
00:05:53.084 --> 00:06:00.165
00:06:00.165 --> 00:06:04.000
00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:13.641
00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:24.908
00:06:24.908 --> 00:06:26.072
00:06:26.072 --> 00:06:33.267
00:06:33.267 --> 00:06:35.411
00:06:35.411 --> 00:06:39.142
00:06:39.142 --> 00:06:44.370
00:06:44.370 --> 00:06:48.836
00:06:49.639 --> 00:07:03.028
00:07:03.120 --> 00:07:03.379
00:07:03.321 --> 00:07:04.913
00:07:04.913 --> 00:07:14.764
00:07:14.805 --> 00:07:17.951
00:07:17.951 --> 00:07:22.899
00:07:22.899 --> 00:07:24.752
00:07:24.752 --> 00:07:29.172
00:07:29.172 --> 00:07:30.898
00:07:30.898 --> 00:07:33.365
00:07:33.365 --> 00:07:35.730
00:07:35.730 --> 00:07:40.826
00:07:40.826 --> 00:07:44.391
00:07:44.391 --> 00:07:46.574
00:07:46.574 --> 00:07:55.894
00:07:55.894 --> 00:08:06.740
00:08:06.781 --> 00:08:14.521
00:08:14.721 --> 00:08:16.927
00:08:16.927 --> 00:08:21.425
00:08:21.425 --> 00:08:24.151
00:08:24.151 --> 00:08:24.951
00:08:24.951 --> 00:08:44.610
00:08:44.630 --> 00:08:49.315
00:08:49.315 --> 00:08:53.020
00:08:53.020 --> 00:08:55.505
00:08:55.505 --> 00:08:56.868
00:08:56.868 --> 00:08:59.052
00:08:59.052 --> 00:08:59.894
00:08:59.894 --> 00:09:02.482
00:09:02.923 --> 00:09:08.894
00:09:08.894 --> 00:09:09.902
00:09:09.902 --> 00:09:11.688
00:09:11.708 --> 00:09:16.072
00:09:16.072 --> 00:09:22.431
00:09:22.431 --> 00:09:26.157
00:09:26.157 --> 00:09:27.559
00:09:27.559 --> 00:09:43.325
00:09:43.325 --> 00:09:44.025
00:09:44.025 --> 00:09:47.551
00:09:47.551 --> 00:09:48.793
00:09:48.812 --> 00:09:52.177
00:09:52.177 --> 00:10:06.682
00:10:06.682 --> 00:10:11.100
00:10:11.100 --> 00:10:13.187
00:10:13.187 --> 00:10:15.421
00:10:15.421 --> 00:10:20.068
00:10:20.409 --> 00:10:22.052
00:10:22.072 --> 00:10:24.350
00:10:24.350 --> 00:10:27.145
00:10:27.626 --> 00:10:31.418
00:10:31.418 --> 00:10:37.354
00:10:37.534 --> 00:11:20.533
00:11:21.644 --> 00:11:40.624
00:11:40.624 --> 00:11:43.249
00:11:43.249 --> 00:11:48.788
00:11:48.788 --> 00:11:49.370
00:11:49.919 --> 00:11:55.211
00:11:56.000 --> 00:12:08.023
00:12:08.023 --> 00:12:16.181
00:12:16.181 --> 00:12:29.304
00:12:29.304 --> 00:12:31.428
00:12:31.589 --> 00:12:36.466
00:12:36.466 --> 00:12:37.548
00:12:37.548 --> 00:12:44.548
00:12:44.548 --> 00:12:47.114
00:12:47.159 --> 00:12:56.486
00:12:56.486 --> 00:12:58.261
00:12:58.261 --> 00:12:58.863
00:12:59.243 --> 00:13:02.006
00:13:02.006 --> 00:13:03.908
00:13:03.908 --> 00:13:09.655
00:13:09.655 --> 00:13:20.399
00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:22.245
00:13:22.980 --> 00:13:32.883
00:13:32.883 --> 00:13:54.101
00:13:54.162 --> 00:13:58.373
00:13:58.373 --> 00:14:10.041
00:14:10.041 --> 00:14:13.940
00:14:13.940 --> 00:14:15.966
00:14:16.527 --> 00:14:19.422
00:14:19.422 --> 00:14:35.263
00:14:35.263 --> 00:14:44.171
00:14:44.171 --> 00:14:53.166
00:14:53.166 --> 00:14:53.405
00:14:53.405 --> 00:14:54.750
00:14:54.750 --> 00:15:01.525
00:15:01.525 --> 00:15:01.846
00:15:01.846 --> 00:15:05.210
00:15:05.210 --> 00:15:05.830
00:15:05.850 --> 00:15:09.254
00:15:09.254 --> 00:15:11.515
00:15:11.515 --> 00:15:17.892
00:15:18.379 --> 00:15:24.190
00:15:24.190 --> 00:15:27.815
00:15:27.815 --> 00:15:29.364
00:15:29.364 --> 00:15:51.563
00:15:51.563 --> 00:15:51.625
00:15:51.625 --> 00:15:52.166
00:15:52.166 --> 00:15:54.373
00:15:54.393 --> 00:15:59.726
00:15:59.726 --> 00:16:03.764
00:16:03.764 --> 00:16:07.072
00:16:07.072 --> 00:16:16.192
00:16:16.192 --> 00:16:23.259
00:16:23.259 --> 00:16:26.080
00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:33.484
00:16:33.524 --> 00:16:39.895
00:16:39.895 --> 00:16:42.802
00:16:42.802 --> 00:16:44.123
00:16:44.123 --> 00:16:46.085
00:16:46.105 --> 00:16:46.325
00:16:46.325 --> 00:16:49.067
00:16:49.067 --> 00:16:50.788
00:16:50.788 --> 00:16:52.149
00:16:52.149 --> 00:16:53.009
00:16:53.009 --> 00:16:55.932
00:16:55.932 --> 00:16:59.115
00:16:59.115 --> 00:17:01.517
00:17:01.517 --> 00:17:04.683
00:17:04.683 --> 00:17:10.728
00:17:10.728 --> 00:17:15.490
00:17:15.490 --> 00:17:19.609
00:17:19.609 --> 00:17:21.897
00:17:21.897 --> 00:17:25.249
00:17:25.249 --> 00:17:29.570
00:17:29.570 --> 00:17:33.006
00:17:33.006 --> 00:17:43.991
00:17:43.991 --> 00:17:45.134
00:17:45.134 --> 00:17:55.126
00:17:55.126 --> 00:17:59.704
00:18:01.020 --> 00:18:06.439
00:18:06.439 --> 00:18:11.570
00:18:11.570 --> 00:18:22.567
00:18:22.567 --> 00:18:25.252
00:18:25.252 --> 00:18:32.489
00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:34.428
00:18:34.428 --> 00:18:37.830
00:18:37.830 --> 00:18:42.109
00:18:42.109 --> 00:18:43.173
00:18:43.173 --> 00:18:47.684
00:18:47.684 --> 00:18:48.686
00:18:48.686 --> 00:18:49.167
00:18:49.167 --> 00:18:49.890
00:18:49.890 --> 00:18:50.269
00:18:50.269 --> 00:19:05.913
00:19:05.952 --> 00:19:18.782
00:19:18.782 --> 00:19:25.461
00:19:25.461 --> 00:19:38.355
00:19:38.500 --> 00:19:48.286