My Aging Parents

I wonder how many of us do visit our aging parents.

Some of us live far away and hardly ever visit them. Some of us always expect other family members to take care of them. Some of us only phone them once in a while. And some of us need frequent reminders to visit them.

And I wonder how many of us do talk to our aging parents.

Some of us never really try to spend time talking to them. And some of us never take the initiative to talk to them first.

It is funny to think just how much we can tell them if we want to. We can talk to them about the current issues. We can talk about what is going on in our lives. We can talk about our problems and seek collective wisdom. We can talk about pregnancy and parenting......

And I wonder how many of us do bring our aging parents along wherever we go.

I wonder how many of us do bring them to live in with us, though I do know of friends who bring their parents to live with them for their own selfish reasons.

I wonder how many of us do bring them for traveling, shopping trips, family holidays and for just walking around the neighborhood.

I wonder how many of us do bring them into our family and our children's life.

I wonder how many of us do bring them to the church.

I wonder how many of us do help our parents to deal with their concerns.

I wonder how many of us do help them to live comfortably.

I wonder how many of us do help them to better their lifestyles.

I wonder how many of us do support their desire to live independently just as we do.

I wonder how many of us do help them to relax and enjoy during their stay with us.

I wonder how many of us do support their well-established values and beliefs.

I, for one, have failed them so much...

And I miss them now...now that they are gone.