"When my mother became a widow, I became a Designated Daughter--the sibling who would try to take up the empty space that had always been filled by Dad. Instead, I found my own strong space, and learned that if you walk beside your mother when she needs you, you'll absorb her wisdom and her strength-which will carry you as far as you ever need to go."-D. G. FulfordFunny, poignant, and wise, Designated Daughter: The Bonus Years with Mom is D .G. Fulford's uplifting story of how, after her father's death, she returned home to become her mother's closest companion-a move that brought her more in return than she could ever have expected. D.G. recalls how she and her mother-a pair who are opposites in almost every way, including how they unload the dishwasher-came together to learn what it means to be best friends, and to need each other in the truest sense. Sharing her experience of the lessons, expectations, and surprises involved with caregiving, D.G. also reveals her unique perspective as daughter, mother, and grandmother-and the wonderful ways to honor four generations of family. D.G.'s eighty-eight-year-old mother, Phyllis Greene, adds her own remarkable voice, contributing her point of view at the end of each chapter.With humor and grace, D.G. and her mom talk about keeping in touch with D.G.'s two brothers as the entire family copes with the challenges and pleasures of change and transition. Woven throughout are the stories of other mothers and daughters who, despite many hardships and sacrifices, manage to draw from their mutual love and support and embrace these bonus years together as an opportunity to celebrate each other's insight.This is a heartwarming, refreshing, and inspiring mother-daughter story about sharing the very best years. Moving, sensitive, and above all, honest, Designated Daughter speaks to the joys and privileges of bringing generations together toward the end of life-a hopeful message for mothers and their children everywhere.