My mom had a stress test done on her heart recently, and I realized: I won't have my parents forever. My dad is 51-- already through a little over half his life. My mom is going to be 45 this year. This will sound dumb, but every year...they get older too. Soon they'll be approaching the stage of life with health issues and decline in well-being (though I pray they continue to be healthy)...that breaks my heart more than anything.
So yes, I can get angry over stupid things we have said and done to each other, but in the end, who will that help? In the end, when my Mom is on her death bed, I won't be thinking about how angry I was when she made a catty remark regarding my Stepmom.
My mom and dad have raised me to be better than that, and they deserve better from me. The best, really. Someday, I hope to be half the Mom my mother is and has been. I want the kind, but firm and strong spirit my mother has combined with my dad's self assuredness and his ability to help/push/drive his kids to success through love and encouragement.
My parents have made and will continue to make mistakes because they are human. And for me to think I could judge them as more than that, or judge them at all is completely ridiculous, uncalled for, selfish, and very much "holier-than-thou" of me. I am acting exactly the way I hate other people acting. I am no better than anyone else. My pride needs knocked down quite a few notches.
Mom, Dad: if you ever read this, I'm sorry for being such a hypocrite. I promise that from now on I'll appreciate every moment and conversation and learn from it. I will appreciate the time I have with you, and be content with my life.
We need to love our parents. We are so busy trying to grow up and trying to be grown ups that we forget that they are also growing old.
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