Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Aging Parents

It's been awhile since I've blogged. Reason being: life in general. Seems sometimes (ok--a lot of times) things come up in your life that throws you completely off schedule. Something like this recently happened to me.
Dad and my great nephew Chase a year ago
Dad when I went to vist
A couple months ago, I got a message from my brother that said my dad was feeling really depressed and was saying that he didn't think he'd ever see me again (I live in PA--my family lives in TN). That same afternoon my oldest niece called saying the same thing. He's been having health issues. He has pancreaitis and was in and out of the hospital for a month or so. I guess this really got him down so he got a bit depressed. 

Well, he's the only dad I have so I decided I'd better get my tail down there for a visit. It had been two years since I last went. I usually try to go every year but finances being what they were, I couldn't afford to go last year. I spent three weeks there and it was a good visit. I'm glad I went.

If you have aged parents (mine are 73 and 74) I don't have to tell you how hard it is watching them age and have health problems that come with aging. I probably don't have to tell you either, that you realize your parents are not going to be here forever. What I do have to tell you is to spend as much time as possible with them and be there for them like they were for you growing up. It's the least we can do.