In my middle ages

This is a picture of my dad. He is heading for the 80's now. He is on retirement now for about 16 years. He had a heart bypass just after his retirement.

A couple of years ago, he was diagnosed with an illness that the medical guru's call "Korea disease". Now don't ask me exactly what that is. All I know is that the same route to Parkinson's and Alzheimer disease, is also the route to this illness. At one stage it got so bad, the doctors made special cutlery for him. The placed a piece of lead on the handle of the fork, spoon and knife to make it heavy. He also received a bracelet filled with lead. All this was to help him keep his hands steady while eating. Nowadays he doesn't write or sign anything, it is to hard and embarrassing for him.

If you look at him without him noticing, you will see his head bobbing as though he is agreeing to something someone said. Now if you stress him up, or make him mad, it all gets worse. I love my father dearly, and I wish that there was something that I could do for him. He went to see the specialist the other day, and this professor told my dad that he does not agree with what the doctors told him. When my dad asked him what then was wrong with him, the prof. told him maybe the "Korea" disease.

Now in life it works like this. If the parents gets to old, and needs more attention, the kids will start shoving them aside. Maybe even in a Old Age Home. My brother wanted to do this to my parents, luckily everybody did not agree to that.

I am in my "middle ages". Now I can see and understand better the way about a lot of things my parents told me. I do not want to shove them aside and forget about them, and only call them when I want something from them. They gave a large part of their lives for us, the children.

how will you feel if your kids told you to stay in an old age home? Not very good. Give the parents the respect and love they deserve, one day you will be standing in their shoes.

To all the parents out there, we love you and wish you all golden years of appreciation for the rest of your days that you are still saved for us.

I challenge all out there to pick up the phone now, and call your parents and tell them you love them.  Let me know how you and your parents feel.