Life changes when mother and daughters switch roles

By Nancy Bruce Tamra was only five years old when her father died, leaving her mother, Carrie, to raise her and her older sister, Terri, alone in Cleveland, Ohio. From early on, in Tamra’s eyes, Carrie was a powerhouse and her “she-ro.” Carrie modeled determination, strength, and citizenship for her girls as she stepped up as a leader in their church, a Girl Scout district leader, and a swimming instructor. She also demonstrated her compassion for her community by opening their home (which the girls called “the hotel”) to folks without families. While Tamra was growing up, Carrie went back to college, knowing that furthering her education would improve her ability to provide the type of life she wanted for her children.   As an adult pursuing a career as an educator, Tamra kept the lessons about strength, hard work, and caring for others she learned from her mother close to her heart. Things seemed ideal until she received a call that would begin to change her life. A friend shared that she was worried because of changes in Carrie’s behavior. Tamra took Carrie for a checkup and was relieved that the results seemed to show no memory issues. Not long...