The Folks

It is at times like this when it hits me. That I've grown older and so have my parents.

I guess, they are no longer as fit as they once were. A simple cough can take months to recover from and you start seeing them get all kinds of ailments like breathlessness, coughing, excess fluid in the ear, kidney stones, lung infections, eczema, nasal insensitivity, blood in the stool, etc....

I find myself getting impatient when my mother complains to me sometimes about these things and about their medical check-ups. I brush her off at other times. And then at night, when I'm alone in my room, I'd feel guilty for not having been more patient.

I still get impatient with them but I'm trying to rein it in. I'm also making a conscious effort to set aside time with them as well. A 5 or 10-minute talk everyday is better than none at all. A sit-down meal with them at least 2-3 times a week is better than none at all. An occassional outing is better than none at all.