Reflections on Aging, My Parents, the Universe and Everything

My parents are really salt of the earth people. I have blogged about them often. They moved to Arizona when they retired from their regular jobs so they could work at a Native American Boarding School. But even before that they spent their lives serving others.

But wow, they have slowed down so much in the past year. Every single minute of life is an ordeal, and requires a lot of planning and patience. I have done my best to be understanding and have fared pretty well, but it is a good thing that I brought along my mellow children as this would have been nearly impossible for some of the others.

The thing that has amazed me most about my parents is that they have consistently been content. Regardless of whatever has happened to them, how poor they have been, what their health has been like, they live a simple existence and are always grateful for what they have and content. It is something I can certainly learn from them.

I find that when I am here I am forced to slow waaaaaay down. The frantic busy-ness of my typical life cannot exist here, and so I have to work hard to mellow out. And it is good for me.

Last night my mom planned our evening. We had supper. We played the Ungame. We had devotions together. And we watched DVDs of the kids.

And it was evening, and it was morning... the second day.

Today we are having breakfast (a granola bar for me, eggs the boys made from themselves) and then heading on a very big excursion to a town TWENTY FIVE minutes from here to go to Walmart. There are a few things my parents need that I am going to purchase for them. And then I will go to the library and post these blog entries.

I also need to get my email figured out and get a little bit of work done.

Tomorrow afternoon we are already heading back to Phoenix so we can fly out Saturday around noon.

I’ll have to speed up quickly as we have a big week ahead.