Frankly, I always secretly hoped my Mother would pass away before my Dad…
I knew she would be sad, but okay. I thought he would be so heartbroken and lonely without her.
Life has a way of throwing us curveballs. My Mom, who was always incredibly healthy, was diagnosed with ALS after a difficult summer two years ago and died within weeks.
It was shocking.
And my Dad was heartbroken. And lonely. In a big house by himself, in a neighborhood where busy families had lots of other things to do.
My Dad did something I never thought he would. He sold the house and moved to CC Young, a beautiful non-profit retirement and assisted living community affiliated with the Methodist Church, on Northwest Highway.
CC Young is where my Dad’s life turned around. He has dozens of new friends, and even a “special someone”. We are thrilled.
Lots of us wonder how to help our parents when age changes all our lives.
Saturday Feb. 21 I have the honor of serving on a panel with Dorothy Roberts McEwen (sister of GMA’s Robin Roberts and caregiver for their mother) and Ron Corning, anchor of of WFAA-TV’s Daybreak, at the Voices of Aging Book Launch, to hopefully get some helpful answers for families.
If you have a parent who is getting up there is years, here is a link to the book:
Voices of Aging, by Missy Buchanan
Missy is a native Texan who has appeared twice on Good Morning America.
Have a great day,
I too was thrown an unexpected curveball. My dad was almost 9 years younger than my mom, so I never expected him to pass away before her. But two years ago he died in his sleep of a massive heart attack. We were all devastated. Shortly after my mom sold her beautiful home, with a pool, that backed up to a golf course, and moved into a retirement community. She hated it. She felt very lonely there. It was hard for her to make new friends. After two months of living there she asked if she could move in with us. I wanted her to live with us, but I was also worried that it would change the dynamics of our home. We would have less privacy, and no matter how old a grown child is, a mother always tries to take control of certain situations. She’s been living with us for over a year and a half now and it’s working out. We’ve had a few rough patches, but love heals everything!
That’s great Gina, I’m happy for you and your family. Jane
Where could we get tickets to the book launch Feb 21?
Hi Shelly,
I’m told there are no tickets available at this time, so sorry.
I do think you might want to pick up the book. I hope that’s helpful, Jane