Spending time here in California with my parents (mom is 86 and dad is 97), has made me reflect on how the personal privacy that we take for granted as Americans erodes as we get older until ultimately it slips away entirely. Doors get removed from their hinges. Others keep track of all our bodily functions. In the end we only get to be alone in our dreams.
the unbearable
becomes mundane, stretching our
tolerance limits.
sgreerpitt
May 16, 2009
For other wonderful poems on this prompt see One Single Impression.
My apologies to everyone, my parents' ancient computer (I've decided that 1 year in computer life is equal to 10 years in human life, so this computer is 100 years old -ha,ha!) keeps locking up every time I try to write comments on other people's blogs. I've been reading everyone's poems and they are wonderful, I just can't get the computer to stay focused long enough to post comments!
11 comments:
You are blessed that you have both your parents. I like what you reflected.
fingers dance merrily in air
You are blessed indeed to have your parents around .... these days society is not even waiting until we get old ... one can see through the roof of our homes via satellite if they so desired.
Your poem was right on target!
You raise an important point here that most people would only think about once they arrive at that age.
I am glad you have your parents around. That's an important lesson. I used to visit an uncle at a nursing home; I hated the way they talked to him as if he were a baby. It was hard to take. Such a dignified gentlement. This one touched my heart.
Love the haiku and may your technological concerns be resolved shortly.
There is such tenderness here. Having lost both parents and caring for my MIL who at age 89, is so fiercely Cecilia. Sometimes love and tolerance lock horns.
and yes, the serial losses that aging brings are hard but they are rendered harder than they have to be in a culture so tipped to autonomy as to shun care. so difficult to give up the persona of identity in the milieu that does not recognize interdependence.
Thank you for your reflections.
Hi Sue, please enjoy California for me. My dad lived until to be 97. He really didn't mind the mundane anymore for his last couple of years.
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This goes straight to the heart of the many hard realities of the aging process.
Oh, so true! Uncovered, after all... found to be imperfect and real. Nice work!
I really love your take on tolerance. It's insightful. Thank you for sharing about your parents, ailing but blessed with longevity.
Ones do not have to be at a great age to have to be dependent on others for life giving services.
You are indeed blessed to still have both of your parents living.
I sure miss mine.
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