I’m 58 Raising 2 Grandchildren After Their Parents Died; Can’t Retire0

• aging, agnes-burgess-applegate, as-told-to, Business, caregiver, contributor-2026, Economy, Family, Finance, grandmother, grandparenting, multigenerational-households, Parenting, poverty, retirement
• May 22, 2026

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Cynthia Gonzalez, 58, who is raising two of her grandchildren in Tucson, Arizona — one since she was a baby, and the other since age 11. Business Insider also spoke with Serina Palacio, her 40-year-old daughter, who helps raise them. This interview has been edited for