When Parent's come to visit...

[Chivas Regal]

Talk about a damper on your hobbying!

But seriously, my parents have been up from the East for a week, and they are driving me nuts! It's funny, but my S/O and I had escaped last night to do a little Xmas Shopping, and I told her I liked her family much better than my own. She laughed, and told me that it is the same with her.

What is it about our parents when they get older? All of a sudden I look at them as being old and slow. Where they didn't want to talk to me when I was younger, now they won't shut up!

The worst part is when I look at my Dad, I shudder at the thought - 'Will I grow into that?' Man oh man, I kneed a massage!

I think I have reached the age where I am middle aged! IS it a good or bad thing? I am now in the middle taking care of kids, and soon, parents. Any advice from some of the older gentlemen, on how to handle this stuck in the middle crisis?

Chivas Regal

 

[Cool Dude]

Enjoy them while you can Chivas. The older parents get, the more of a role reversal happens. It's your turn. Patience my friend. And if all else fails, get em "liquored up".

 

[pantera74l]

Cool Dude is right.Enjoy them while you can.When I was younger I wasn't that close to my parents.Then right out of the blue my father had a crippling stroke and was put in a chronic care hospital and with in a few months my mother was diagnosed with liver cancer.She was terrified of hospital's so I took care of her .It took 5months for her to die.Towards the end I had to carry her to the bathroom,by then she only weighed 85lbs.Six months later my father died.Now a day doesn't go by that I don't think of them.Try to enjoy the time left.

 

[alliwantislove]

I know EXACTLY what you mean Chivas. I do not have any advice to offer. But I can tell you that I lost my Dad three years ago this month, and I cannot now imagine how I ever felt the way you are feeling - but I certainly did. Well ... maybe I do have some advice. If you love your parents, do EVERYTHING you can to make sure they know it. You do not ever want to wonder after they are gone if they died not knowing that you loved them.

Bob

 

[zoickss]

Our family was worried we were going to lose my mother to a brain tumour - we were lucky she came through radiation treatment very well - we have bought some time with her for now. My father I lost to suicide when I was 9 years old - I don't relish the final good-bye to mom. I used to feel as you do until this spring with what my mother went through - you are getting alot of replies to this effect and take them seriously - most of us don't realize what we had until it's gone - visits are short - cherish them - deal with their quirks - because it is these quirks you will really miss when their time has passed -

Just my couple cents worth

 

[Chivas Regal]

Thanks all.

It's funny, after I said goodbye and sent them on their way, I thought to myself- You never know if that is the last goodbye. I will miss them more when they are gone true. It is looking at myself 30 years from now that scares me.

Chivas

 

[james t kirk]

My mom died 3 years ago.

There isn't a day go by that i don't think about her.

I wish i had your problem.

Yeah, there were times when she was a bit of a pain, but that was her job.

I honestly believe that I will never find someone who will offer me the unconditional love that my mother did. And that's a hard sad fact of reality.

Maybe by talking to you now you should be happy since them not talking to you when you were younger seems to have left a lasting impression.

Maybe you were just a pain in the ass teenager and they figured they would wait till you grew out of it. (like most of us)

Maybe they realize that they have made a few mistakes and want to make up a bit for it. Maybe they are just getting a bit sentimental in their old age.

No family is perfect, and all of them are slightly disfunctional in one shape or another. But, that's life.