00:00 - Meet Mark Steven Porro: Actor, Author, Unexpected Caregiver
01:00 - Taking care of a parent as a first-time caregiver
02:00 - Crisis moment: Mom gives up, hospice is called
03:00 - Love returns to the house and Mom rebounds
05:00 - “We’re going to have fun”: Gaining permission to lead as a caregiver
07:00 - How humor and storytelling helped during hard moments
08:30 - Lessons in unconditional love and empathy
10:00 - Dementia and forgetting her son’s name
11:00 - The story behind the book title: *A Cup of Tea on the Commode*
12:30 - Moving to the South of France after caregiving ends
14:00 - Wine, community, and slow living in France
15:30 - Language barriers and cultural surprises
17:00 - Acting career: Hill Street Blues, Walker Texas Ranger & Castaway
20:00 - Behind-the-scenes of working with Tom Hanks and Spielberg
23:00 - Transitioning into the mental health topic
24:00 - How caregiving impacts mental well-being and finding balance
26:00 - Holding boundaries with a demanding parent
27:00 - Stress explosions: A broken bowl and dinner in the dark
28:30 - Why caregivers need to put on their own oxygen mask first
30:00 - Mark’s emergency surgery – stress nearly killed him
32:00 - Nikki’s story: Caring for her mom with no support
33:00 - Mark’s support system: Siblings and shared responsibility
36:00 - Humor, perspective, and grace as coping mechanisms
38:00 - End-of-life signs, hospice, and saying goodbye with love
40:00 - A fast or slow death? Reflections on parents' final moments
42:00 - The shift in perspective: “Maybe my mom rescued me”
44:00 - Closing thoughts and keeping his mom's memory alive