As we progress in life, we want to relive some of those times of old. As that is not too easy to do because of all the improve-ments in the world today, we try to recall all the things that were so important to us as children, living at home full of love and companionship, without having to worry about how we would eat, sleep or go to school.
That was what our parents and grandparents were for.
But as time marched on, we started to take on chores that the older members of the family had been doing. As the older ones left home to do their thing, the younger ones took over the tasks of helping and doing their share in the family.
But sometimes we find there are some children who decide to stay on with the parents and be there to take care of them as they grow older and unable to carry on those tasks they had been doing since they started their own family.
As we grow older, there is always someone there to take up the slack and make life a little easier for us. Well, maybe not in all situations. Many times the elders are left in a situation where the only means available are the nursing homes, where they can achieve good monitoring and meals on schedule.
That is important. It gives the elders security and the younger members of the family a chance to continue the chain of family into the future.
Do they forget the loved ones when they allow their parents to be admitted to the homes? I don’t think so. In most cases good children will make every attempt to go spend time with the parents without disrupting the schedules that they must tend to in taking care of their own family.
I have visited several in the assisted living facilities and nursing homes through the years and, although there are some that never get visitors, there are many who await the visits with high hopes and with joy as the visitors walk into the room.
We had a young lady named Thelma whom we tried to visit as much as possible. Up until she was just about 100 years old, she was so happy to see us she kept herself young just because someone cared. That is what the elders need in their lives as they grow older.
If they are home, visit them as much as possible. If they are in assisted living, do the same as they await that visit with joy and love. And if they are in that part of life when they need constant 24-hour care, get with the doctors and nurses who work there and set up some type of schedule where you can spend time with your loved ones without getting in the way of the people who are there to assist the patient.
You might not think that is important, but it is. That way you can spend more time with your loved ones.
Just think about all the times they got you fed and cleaned, and how they gave of themselves so that you could have more. You can still make a difference in their lives just by letting them know you care.
If the shoe were on the other foot, would you look forward to seeing them? Darn right, you would. God gave your parents a gift, and that was you. Remember the receiver.
• Ray “Uncle Ray” Day is a weekly contributor to the Kokomo Tribune. Contact him at uncleray@earthlink.net.
Columns
Are they all there for us?
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Hayden: From good to great in education
On the campaign trail last year and early into his administration, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said repeatedly that his goal as governor would be to take Indiana from “good to great.”
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Mom’s simple advice still presents a valuable challenge
Most moms don’t base their advice on scientific research. Instead, their words of wisdom come from a greater source — the heart, where they store and process life experiences. Unfortunately, some folks don’t receive the gift of maternal guidance, for various reasons.
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Wolfsie: Making bird calls
One afternoon in 2011, my friend Eric spent a couple of hours over lunch explaining Twitter to me and I thought I understood it all, but as you’ll see from my first few tweets, I wasn’t very confident: “Is anyone getting this?”
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Hicks: The real cause of Indiana’s ‘brain drain’
This week across Indiana bright, talented and well-educated young people pack up their meager campus belongings and head out to new jobs. Their employment prospects, for the minority who don’t yet have jobs, are fantastic
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House of Burgess: Committing virtual identity suicide
I joined Facebook Sept. 22, 2004. That was just seven months after Mark Zuckerberg and his cohorts created the site. Needless to say, it looked and felt much different back then. At its inception, the social network was only open to a few select Ivy League colleges
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Bennett: Glitches show limitations of high-stakes testing plan
The dog ate my home-work. That age-old excuse — based on a shockingly unforeseen complication — rarely works for a kid who didn’t finish yesterday’s math assignment.
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MARK HEINIG: ISTEP snafu could affect school funding, jobs
Technology glitches can lead to lower test scores.
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