In this deeply personal and emotionally honest episode of Growing Tall Poppies, host Dr. Nat Green shares what it’s really like to be part of the Sandwich Generation—those navigating life while supporting both aging parents and young adult or teenage children. The group of adults caught in the middle, caring for aging parents while still showing up emotionally, financially, and practically for young adult or teenage children.
As the eldest child, Dr Nat reflects on her early conditioning around self-sacrifice and responsibility. When her mother was diagnosed with metastatic cancer, she didn’t hesitate to move back home to help care for her. Now, 31 years after her mother’s passing, Dr Nat has lived more of her life without her than with her—and the grief of mothering without a mother continues to show up in profound ways at unexpected times and continues to ripple through the years.
She opens up about the heartbreak of seeing her beloved stepmum fading to Alzheimer’s and the recent, painful signs that her father is likely walking the same path. With raw vulnerability, Dr Nat describes the emotional toll of being “the strong one,” holding everyone together while silently navigating her own grief and exhaustion. The emotional weight has become very real.
In this conversation, She speaks honestly about the invisible emotional labour, the cost of being the strong one, and the quiet grief that builds when you're loving everyone deeply—but often putting yourself last.
This episode is a powerful exploration of love, loss, responsibility, and resilience—and a reminder that those in the middle are not alone.
If you're in this season too… This episode is for you.
🔑 Key Takeaways:
💬 Let’s Continue the Conversation:
This episode may include a short message from Dr Nat about her upcoming live masterclass:
Why You Keep Hitting An Invisible Ceiling — Even After All The Work
🗓 Friday 27 February
🕚 11:00am AEDT (Sydney, Australia)
This 90-minute live session is for people who have done therapy or personal growth work but still feel like something is holding them back.
You can find registration details via the link in the show notes.
If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen
Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.
Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.
