The Best Gift My Parents Gave Me
By showing me how to age with grace and humor they have established a legacy that is tough to match.
I was over 50 when I approached my father. “Dad, don’t you ever wake up stiff all over? It’s weird. I thought I had more time before I started aching as I got out of bed.”
“How old are you now?” he asked.
I told him and he replied, “Just wait, it only gets worse!” and laughed like it was the funniest joke he had ever told.
I could not help but laugh with him.
There was a lot of truth in that comment.
Never Complain
After a visit to my in-laws where I asked how they were doing, they worked their way over their bodies listing complaints for more than an hour. They were stiff. They were tired. We sat at the table, while the aunts and uncles listed what no longer worked like it used to.
It made me sorry to ask, “How are you?”
I was weary and gave up offering suggestions half way through the visit.
When I next encountered my mother, I had to ask, “You and Dad never seem to complain about your bodies, but certainly at your age, you must have some issues.”
