When our parents get older . . .

If we're lucky to have our parents with us long enough, there comes a time when we begin to notice a subtle shift in our roles. Those who were our guiding lights for most of our lives, begin asking for our guidance. Those who were our anchors, our strength, reach a point where they need our strength. And, finally, those who gave us unlimited love and understanding, need us to give them ours.

It isn't easy to watch your parents age. In fact, it's a bit frightening. You suddenly realize that your mom and dad are not going to be with you forever and you wonder how you'll get along without them. They've probably been the most stable part of your life ~ the two people who were always there and upon whom you could always depend. It's scary to imagine life without them.

When your parents die, they take with them a very special bond that exists with no one else on earth. Nothing can replace that bond between parent and child. You may have a loving wife or husband, children of your own, siblings with whom you've shared most of life's experiences but none of these are the same as what you've known with your parents. It's special and something to be treasured. When it's severed, it leaves a huge void.

No matter how old we get, mom and dad possess a place in our hearts that no one else can fill. And no matter how successful we are, how independent or self-sufficient, we still need to know they're there when we need their wisdom and support. We may have mentors and best friends but there are still some occasions when we just need to touch base with mom or dad.

As our parents age, it's important that we accept our new roles with love, understanding, and compassion. We accept their forgetfulness and listen to the same story many times over as though it's as fresh as it was the first time. We treat them with the same respect we ask from them. As they become more infirm in mind and body we ensure that they are not robbed of their dignity. We willingly give them the support they request but we never treat them like children.

We set aside whatever petty disagreements may have cropped up over the years, knowing that, like us, they aren't perfect. And, like any long-standing relationship, there were certain to be times when we couldn't agree. The most important thing to remember is that, while we may have been disappointed with their reactions at times, they always had our best interests at heart.

Almost every parent wants their children to be happy, fulfilled and live a life that's free of major disappointments and heartache. Sometimes they may have thought we took the wrong path ~ sometimes they may have even been right. But, always, no matter how rough they may have been on us, it was a result of the love they felt for us and their desire for us to live our lives according to the highest standards possible.

As they age, we need to show them how important they are to us. There's no longer time to put off telling them how much they mean to us or how much we love them. There aren't a million tomorrows left to get to know and admire them as the people they are. Now is the time to spend that extra hour with them here and there, share the things they enjoy with them, and wrap them in our love.

It's time to let them know, once and for all, that we're proud of them and proud to call them mom or dad.

Don't wait until time runs out . . .