My dad is fond of saying this.  Indeed, my parents have had a rough year or so with their health.  It takes a lot more strength to do the things that you took for granted in the past.

I am blessed to be able to call up my parents and meet them for breakfast.  We did this on Saturday as a matter of fact.  I drove down to their house and we took a nice ride down highway 55 to a Cracker Barrel in Festus, MO.  They have a low carb menu that works with dad’s diabetes.

It’s an interesting dynamic as I sit on one side of the table and see my parent’s aging.  The daily battle against their health challenges hasn’t dampened their spirits though.  There’s a lot of strength there.  They probably don’t realize it.  But they are fighting harder now for the ‘normal’ life that younger people just simply live.  Those stairs are now a chore to climb…  The pill boxes seem to getter fuller and fuller each year…  The costs for their healthcare is breathtakingly horrid.

I wonder selfishly what I will be like when these things begin to befall me.  Will I have that strength to fight a little harder for normal life?  I’m not sure.  I can already feel my age taking it’s toll on me.  There is a lot of frustration when you can’t hear as well as you used to or your back aches all the time… My whole body just wants to slow down.

I admire my parents.  They are strong people.  My aging is helping me to see things a lot differently.  When I get frustrated because that ‘old’ person in the store is in my way or moving slowly, I need to remember that they may be getting around with great effort and battling many more challenges just to take those steps or read those labels or hear me when I say “excuse me”…

Sometimes we need a view from the other side of the table.