My parents have been on my mind lately. They live about 900 miles away on the Western side of New York State. I haven’t lived near them in over 20 years. But, they are aging and so am I. As the saying goes, time doesn’t wait for anyone.
Lately, there have been several things that have brought my parents to the front of my mind. One was this morning when I had to give a family health history to a new provider. We switched health care systems when my husband retired last year and are getting acquainted with a new system for appointments, labs, etc. I was glad my old records had transferred over from our previous provider because I failed to remember certain ailments my parents had until I was prompted. Some might find this odd, but when you live so far away from your family, you do not receive day to day reminders that they might be suffering from this or that.
Then, there was the recent resignation from my job. I have not conversed with them about this yet. They knew I was unhappy with how things were going and that I felt it wasn’t a good fit for me. I hung on despite their advice not to. Since I refused to give up as quickly as they thought I should, I guess I stopped talking to them about it. It’s too bad, I think I could have used them as a source of support. Maybe.
And, then, it’s also been a while since I’ve seen them. It’s approaching two years, I think. There have been opportunities to get together like last November when I took my son to visit our alma mater in New York. But, as people age, they are not as mobile, so since our visit was brief and since the college was two hours away from where they live, we were unable to see each other. I think the last time we saw them in person was in November of 2017 when I made a trip back to visit them. Before that, we had seen them in May of that same year for our middle son’s high school graduation. So, it’s been too long.
Yesterday, I made plane reservations to go see them in November.
It’s time. I miss them.
I do love them very much.
This post might not be understood by many. I have friends who are close with their parents. They’ve never moved away. They talk daily and visit weekly during family meals, church, or other gatherings. I know they don’t understand. Sometimes, I don’t understand it either. But, as they say, it is what it is.
But, I had good parents. It’s just that our generation became mobile and theirs did not. It is that mobility that will allow me to go and visit them again. I am looking forward to it.
This is Slice of Life Tuesday. Thanks to TwoWritingTeachers.org for hosting this weekly forum that allows educators to share a part of their lives through writing.
The Apples in My Orchard 
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