Family and Aging

Family. What a beautiful word and idea... I have been fortunate, I have learned many many MANY lessons from my familial lineage, some things challenging, some things beautiful, all things that I called to myself to help me on my path!

This past week has been full of family. Time with my parents, time with my daughter at college and today time with my son and daughter-in-law. These beautiful human beings are all evolving and becoming and learning just as I am and it is such a gift to be part of the process...

The time with my parents was happy and sad because I know as they age (and they are aging ever so gracefully I might add!) they are nearing the end of their time on this planet in their earthly bodies. Of course they have not slowed down and this I am grateful for and learn from... they swim everyday, volunteer and are active socially in the retirement village that they chose to live in. They chose it because it has three "stages" of living available~independent, assisted living, and nursing care.

Mom and Dad told us kids that "they don't want to be a burden" to us, and they don't want us to "give up" our lives to care for them. Wow, I think to myself. I WANT my children to care for me at the end of my time on this planet. I want to share my thoughts and my wisdom on a daily basis. I want to be able to wake up in the middle of the night with an "aha" moment and share it with them. I want to be share memories with them about their childhood. I want to have them holding my hand if I get scared. And all of these things that I imagine for myself in "old age" I feel like I will be missing this with my parents.

I have chosen to honor their wishes and understand that everyone thinks differently, but I also sometimes feel sad that I will miss those moments of wisdom ~ and talking on the phone just is not the same as physically being connected ~ holding hands, rubbing their feet, etc... With this knowledge I made a commitment to myself: I will travel to see them at least every 6 weeks so that I CAN stay physically connected! I will bring my table and do bodywork, and touch them and love them and share my gifts with them, and they in turn can share their wisdom with me!

And so I rambled on but I leave you with this thought... We are ALL going to age. We are ALL going to have to make choices. We are ALL going to look back on our lives and make peace. And we are ALL going to move on. May you love the life you create and never look back with regret!