New stage of life
A year since my last posts, I hope to begin again. Around this time last year, my dear mother who had been ill and living with me, began to decline further. Her need for care increased, and I spent most of my non-work time with her. In November, she finally went home to be with her Lord, where she had been so ready to go, especially since Dads passing. Like me and my siblings, so many baby boomers are in that position now of caring for their parents, and I think most of us are glad we are able to do it. For many it puts you in the "sandwich generation" with kids still at home and parents living with you. It's an odd feeling you may not get used to, becoming a parent to your parent. And then when you do, they are soon gone, and that is a different place all together. It is a feeling like something in your soul untethered from its anchor.
My parents were not perfect, but in a day when so much dysfunction has abounded and even become the norm, I feel so fortunate to have had them. Both Mom and Dad were emotionally stable, humble people who got the most important things right as parents. Protective, nurturing and passing on a strong faith in God, they were the same people at home as in public or at church. They showed us the importance of standing strong in our convictions when everyone around says "everybody's doing it". My brothers and sister and I saw in our parents that contentment and peace of mind did not require material possessions, status, or popularity. As I shared with my sister before, I think I could have been a basket case were it not for my parents' teaching and example. I know I would likely have made some destructive life choices. So, as I get accustomed to the rest of my life on earth without them, I carry the legacy of their wisdom and example and faith and am still learning from it. Below is a song inspired by their life:
Comments