The Disappearing Parent

The Disappearing Parent

You go through your life taking for granted the people who brought you into this world, whom without, you would not be here, good or bad, they did get you here.   One sunny day you turn around and realize you haven’t seen mom and dad in a while.   You really meant to see them more, why haven’t you planned a visit?   Then you remember they are gone, they have left this world for hopefully a better place, they have moved on without you, without asking if they should.   How did this happen, they seemed to have just disappeared, one day you are talking to them, the next you are struggling to remember the details of some of the times you spent together, wondering if the memories will eventually fade away completely.
How did you get to this point, what happened to life?   You go through your life, doing the things you are expected to do.   You grow up, move out of your parent’s home, and go to work or school.   You meet the love of your life and get married, have children, buy a home, spend too many hours on your career, and squeeze a visit in with the parents once in a while, when you can fit them into your already hectic schedule.   One day you decide to plan some time with them, how about a hike at the mountain.   You stop by after work one day, its been a couple months since you’ve stopped by, you walk in and hug mom, the first thing you notice is how thin she has gotten.   Is she sick, you wonder, is she eating, what is going on with her?   She is so happy to see you; you start the internal conversation about why you don’t visit them more often.   You really see how fast they are aging.   You sit down and start talking, you mention going on a hike, and dad starts remembering about the hikes you have taken, good memories but you notice how he has some of the stories confused, mixing one trip with another.   Mom wants to know how the kids are doing, you tell her and it makes her smile.   You continue talking and she starts repeating things she just said...