I moved back to my Louisiana hometown from Biloxi, Mississippi, in 2023 after 35 years on my own. It was the solution to two problems — I was newly divorced with nowhere to go, and my dad needed help caring for my mom, who had dementia.
It was supposed to be temporary. Respite care for him, refuge for me. A year or two, tops.
We almost didn’t make it through the first six months.
It was difficult at first
I was angry, hurting, and trying to figure out what came next. Moving back home felt strangely familiar, like being a teenager again. Unfortunately, I acted like one sometimes, too.
My mom and I struggled during those first months. I was trying…
