Fish swim, birds fly, parents age by and by
We’re in our usual end of the year downward spiral – the one that starts around Thanksgiving for mom and circles downward till well after the new year. There’s the black eye, the missing two teeth, and now the cold. There’s also the denial that her $10K dental work can be covered some by Medicare if she works it right but NO she doesn’t want that and she doesn’t have $10K. A perplexing dilemma.
Much like our parents didn’t have a What to Expect When You’re Expecting guide when they were young, we don’t have a What to Expect From Aging Parents guide now that they are old. The problem is that sure you can’t get a two year old child to eat his peas but you can contain and curtail some of the acting out – with a 72 year old woman, you’re fucked.
There’s fear, paranoia, anxiety, and just plain obstinence and of course, anger and frustration to boot. A whole laundry list of emotional baggage with a big whopping dose of reality and let’s not forget no money. There was no planning for old age now compounded with a real denial that old age is irrevocably here.
What’s a daughter to do? I suspect take drugs, drink, fly away, or just face the facts – it ain’t pretty.