I'm taking time to care for myself along with my daughter and parents. Because of this, my sandwich years are turning out to be the best years of my life.

Courtesy of Lisa VanderVeen and Karen Wertheim

At 56, I'm a member of the "sandwich generation," the aptly named in-between time when family ties are both fleeting and consuming. My parents recently moved into a retirement community and in a few months, my daughter will graduate from college and move home with me as she looks for a job. My familial responsibilities are in full swing as I define my own middle age, which looks nothing like I'd expected.