Cheers to more wisdom with every trip we take around the sun.

February = reflection, starting anew, and celebration.

I know it is March, but wasn’t yesterday February? For me, February is a time for celebrations for my family and friends. It is a short month, but it does so much! Black History Month, National Caregiver Day, and numerous birthdays (including my own). This year, we celebrated my good friend Sheila’s milestone birthday with a surprise party! Her husband and best friend brought friends and family together to let Sheila how much we love and appreciation her. It was a beautiful time and reminded me of how important it is to celebrate one another.

The other thing I love about February (no, it isn’t the weather), is that it makes for a great lead into March, Women’s History Month.

It is time we start making history; because if we don’t . . .

New research from BCG shows that by 2030, the caregiving crisis will shrink the US economy by hundreds of billions of dollars! Why? First there will not be enough workers to fill formal caregiver roles. Second, more employees are leaving the workforce to take on caregiver duties. Caregiving never lived in a box. This research continues to amplify what we all know - everyone is or will be affected. And, every single one of us has a part to play in supporting efforts that provide caregivers with options in the workplace and in healthcare. Read the report and let me know what you think.

Keep informed with these articles:

• Fidelity’s insights on women’s financial wellness: Here’s one tidbit I found shocking, “Women can expect to spend an average of $175,000 on health care costs and medical expenses throughout retirement, which is more than 10% higher than what men can expect to pay.” Yikes!

• Forbes’ recent article on family leave: “Only 40% of eligible parents used their paid leave benefits in 2022. Men are half as likely to use paid leave benefits compared to women. . . male respondents indicated they didn’t think taking leave was necessary if their partner was already doing so.” Let’s change this.

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Thanks for reading Care Fully.

Erna