Getting old, or is it "Old Age isn't for Sissies," Nor is Watching It

That's true, but even harder than growing old, feeble, incapable and demented is watching someone else in the process.

At my age, it's pretty rare to still have two living parents.  And both of my parents are alive, but I can't say alive and well.  They haven't been on their own totally independent for years.

At one point my mother seemed perfectly well, and she was my father's caregiver.  Now, she's in much worse shape, mentally and physically than my father.  The differences in order and speed of deterioration are more varied than the wondrous development of a tiny baby  into a crawling infant, walking toddler, curious preschooler and eventually, G-d willing, an independent adult.  As a mother of five, and also a grandmother, I have a very good grasp of how children grow and develop.

Dr. Yael Zeigler, my Bible teacher at Matan loves to show the chiastic structure of Biblical verses and history.  I see the chiastic structure also in life.  I can compare my parents' decline with my grandchildren's growth and development.

Many people say they'd rather die than find themselves senile and dependent, but what happens is that among the things many demented people forget is that very sentiment.