This week, Carolyn Miller Parr joined us. She is a retired judge, mediator, and author who shares her insights about how families can live in peace as their parents' age. In her newest book, Love’s Way: Living Peacefully with Your Family as Your Parents Age, she outlines the positive ways adult children can deal with their aging parents. It is a practical handbook that helps us all understand the importance of heartfelt communication. Carolyn says that when we avoid the important conversations, it makes difficult matters even worse. She encourages adult children not to use “elderspeak” or force significant changes on a parent unless they become harmful enough to themselves that it becomes necessary. Her recurring theme is “Let your parents maintain their freedom and make their own decisions.” #Portland