Have you watched your parents grow old?

I see my parents growing old.. it's sad. they are still young though 50 and 52... but i can see it.. especially with my dad.. hes like hard of hearing and is just so ugh sometimes lol and i know its because hes getting old... it really sucks and it does make me want to cry... i've cried about it before lol when i stop and think about it.. i don't like it because it means i'm getting closer to having to say goodbye...

Yes. It is a very difficult change to accept. In the end you, the child, becomes the caregiver to someone you have depended on all your life, to give you the care you needed. The emotions one feels can be mixed. You can feel sad one moment and frustrated the next, especially when they are being difficult about doing the things that needs to be done. Add to that the health problems, such as Stroke, or Alzheimers, and you have your job cut out for you. Without the support/cooperation of all in the family, it becomes a monumental task. My mom has had several strokes, but is a real trooper. Despite getting weaker every day, she always tries to be cheerful. Her attitude, and the fact that she was a loving, caring mother, gives me the drive to do the best I can for her. We have cried several times over the past few months because she got very sick. But then she pulls through, and once again delights in the simple things of life. The thought of her dying is also ever present. But I strongly believe it is a temporay state. That view helps to ease some of the anxiety.

I have, and we live close and see each other often. It seems like one day I am with her and don't notice and the next, it hits like a brick. At this point, they are doing well, and going strong. I dread the day that something happens to either of them. I try not to think about it too much.