A Cup of Tea on the Commode: My Multi-Tasking Adventures of Caring for Mom. And How I Survived to Tell the Tale - Softcover

Porro, Mark

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1608082849 ISBN 13: 9781608082841

Publisher: Boutique of Quality Books, 2023

Synopsis

Mark enjoyed his carefree bachelor's life in Los Angeles. He had no steady girlfriend, no children, few responsibilities outside of work. But that all changed when "The Call" came. Genevieve, his eighty-nine-year-old mother, was on her deathbed. He rushed back to New Jersey to be by her side. Hours became days, days became weeks, then she woke up. So, he moved back into his childhood home and took over her care. His first task was to remove all hazards, which included the current caregivers.

After, Mark asked his mother, "Do you trust me?" She whispered, "Yes." "Do you understand I will do everything in my power to keep you healthy and safe?" She smiled and nodded. "That means I'm in charge, and that means now you must obey me." Her mood shifted in an instant. She looked him dead in the eye, then puckered up her lips. He wasn't sure if this was a sign of surrender or one wishing him luck. He kissed her and hoped for the best.

The parent/child role reversal may not have been unique to Mark, but how he dealt with it was. One day, hoping to make Genevieve's time on the commode a tad more pleasant, he offered her a cup of her favorite beverage. It was a hit, and a cup of tea on the commode became a staple on the morning menu, and the clear choice for the title of this intimate, funny, and heartwarming memoir of how eldercare can be done.

A Cup of Tea on the Commode chronicles Mark's multitasking adventures of filling his mother's last years with love, laughter, and joy. Though not always successful, he came pretty damn close.

About this title

About the Author

Mark Steven Porro, a New Jersey native (Exit 163), holds an Industrial Design degree from The Ohio State University. After years of agency work, his love of acting led him to Hollywood, where he appeared in dozens of television, film, and theatre productions. Mark also spent his twenty-eight years in Hollywood, entrepreneuring. He started five non-profit companies, but hold the applause. None were intended to be. He now lives in the South of France, but hold your pity. He of sound mind and body chose to suffer in the heart of wine country where the locals insist his French isn't so bad—at least that's what he thinks they're saying.

Mark is an award-winning designer, writer, director, and now a Best Selling and Award-Winning author. He has written lots of jokes, several screenplays, and one award-winning short film. A Cup of Tea on the Commode—a sad, sweet, and funny debut memoir—chronicles his multitasking adventures of filling his mother's last years with love, laughter, and joy. Though not always successful, he came pretty damn close. And he survived to tell the tale.

From the Inside Flap

2025 Pencraft Awards Winner
2025 Independent Press Award Winner
2025 Feathered Quill Book Awards Finalist
2024 Best Indie Book Award Winner
2024 NYC Big Book Award Winner
2024 Paris Book Festival Winner
2024 Living Now Book Awards Winner
2024 International Book Awards Winner
2024 IndieReader Discovery Award Winner
2024 Book Excellence Award Winner
2024 Firebird Book Award Winner
2024 Eric Hoffer Book Award Finalist
2024 Readers' Favorite International Book Awards Finalist
2024 National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist
2024 Best Book Awards Finalist
2024 Chanticleer International Awards Finalist

Edition details

• Publisher: Boutique of Quality Books
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1608082849
• ISBN 13: 9781608082841
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320