RE: My parents parent?
Can I ever relate. Getting older is part of the cycle of life. Every stage has its good and bad points. When we realize that our parents don’t know everything, it’s disillusioning and scary, but also liberating. When our parents get old, it’s hard to adjust to the reversal of roles for both us and our parents, but especially the parent, I think.
My dad is 80 and he has Alzheimer’s. He’s had it for about 9 years or so now, and he’s fought an amazing battle, but it’s one he can’t win. It’s his second “death sentence” illness (the first: diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 40 years ago; fought it to a draw with a severe limp). I think having already faced an “inevitable” slow death once with 6 children, two of them young, kind of prepared him for what he’s going through now. He’s always been a happy camper and he’s taken this as well as I could imagine anyone could, especially considering the amazing memory he used to have.
There’s a prayer that I really like that applies to situations like this:
God grant me the will to change the things I can, the grace to accept the things I cannot change and the wisdom to know the difference.
Have fun hunting with your Dad. I am sure he will enjoy it just as much as you do.