Some food for thought...

Hi everyone,

I was wandering if any of you younger folks ever stop and wander what old age will be like?  After all, every person  will get old, at some time.  Old age is sometimes pleasant, but often it's hard.  Like anything else that gets old, an old adults body starts to break down.  Oh, you can have a face lift or some other procedure,  but there's not much you can do about old bones, old body organs, old skin, old teeth or a lot of other old body parts.  They've never come up with a cure for "old age" problems. 

That's okay with me, but for most younger people, they don't understand.  Many times, they are impatient with a aged parent because they are slow walking, slow eating, slow getting up, or because they have so many illnesses, or because they are just plain too tired to do much of anything.  Of course, for all of us older people who live with illness every day, our whole lives have changed.  We can't do all the things we used to do. 

Younger people don't always understand this.  I am thankful that my daughters do understand that I am not able, any more, to do the things I used to do.  They may not like it, but they accept that I have to do only that which I am capable of doing now. 

I do put my illness before anything else in my life.  Basically, that's because if I don't, I will be responsible for helping to kill myself.  I will not do that for anyone, including my family and husband. 

I'm writing about this tonight, because I just watched a video about an elderly gentleman who had to move in with his son, daughter-in-law and grandson.  This gentleman, either because of dementia or some other illness, had little control over the shaking in both his hands.  Consequently, when he tried to eat or drink, a mess sometimes followed.  The son and daughter-in-law had no patience with his behavior.  (Which by the way, he had no control over),  They made him sit by himself in a corner of the kitchen where the mess would be easier to clean up. 

This couple had a son of their own.  One day he was using some wooden scraps to make what looked like a bowl.  When asked what he was making, he explained to his Mom and Dad that he was making bowls for them to eat out of when they sat by themselves to eat their meals.

The moral of this story is:  What comes around, goes around!  Or: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!  Or perhaps it's: We learn by watching our parents!

So, tonight I ask all you folks in your thirties and forties to be kind to your parents.  Show they compassion and love so that your children learn from you.  You can tell your children how to be good and what is bad behavior, but actions still speak louder than words.  They always will!

Enjoy the rest of your week.  Take care and may God bless each of you.
Susan