REVOLVING COUPLES ROLES AS WE AGE

REVOLVING COUPLES ROLES AS WE AGE
Wednesday, January 28, 2026 by Linda Wood Rondeau

Categories: MUSINGS

micheile henderson on Unsplash">Photo by micheile henderson on Unsplash

When I retired, I moved to Florida ahead of my husband. The North Country winters proved to be beyond my tolerance. After a long bout of exacerbated Asthma, we knew a warmer climate was needed. I moved to Jacksonville since my brother was a pastor there.

When Steve retired 18 months later, we were happy to finally resume a normal marriage. But normal wasn’t in the cards for us. I was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after he moved in.

I managed my daily care, but chemo brain drastically reduced my ability to maintain a home and cook. So the hubs became chief cook and bottle washer, a role he played with love and patience.

Then came his turn. A knee replacement, requiring me to be the chauffeur … not much to the hub’s liking.

And so it has gone throughout our retirement years, even after our move to Maryland to be nearer the grands.

Seems, though, that Steve has had a larger percentage of caregiver time. He has become the chief cook, does the vacuuming, shopping, and manages birthdays and events.

Sometimes I feel useless, but I do stuff. I’m the resident laundry expert and manage most of the cleaning.

In short, as we age, we are an extension of our spouses.

Below is a recipe for Steve’s beef stew. Yummy.

Steve’s Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

Ingredients –

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 ½ - 2 lbs stew beef

1 large onion, cut up

4-5 carrots, peeled & cut into chunks

4 celery ribs, peeled & cut into chunks

4 potatoes cut into chunks

1 ½ - 2 cups beef broth

1-2 beef bouillon cubes

Comments

Mike Raether From Montana At 3/21/2026 2:15:56 PM

I’m reminded of a quote by Jocelyn Carter. “There are only four kinds of people in the world: Those who have been caregivers, those who are caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers."