Like it or not, nothing in our lives tays the same, although I must ad- mit that potty-training seemed to last forever with five little boys. As
our children grow older, so do we—and so
do our parents.
It is hard to imagine that the woman who
raised you, efficiently ran a household, and
organized church dinners for three hundred, could ever need your help. It is hard
to imagine that the father who tossed you
high in the air (to your delighted squeals),
and who worked long hours to support his
family, could ever be too frail to get out of
bed. But few of us escape the ravages of
time. Even our parents, those stalwarts of
strength, will someday need our help in the
greatest role reversal of a lifetime.
God challenges us to be a generation who
will honor our parents, not simply with our
words but with our actions. We all know
the sixth commandment, demonstrated
for us by Christ who, even from the Cross,
Many homeschool families believe that
offering personal care for their elders is a
natural outgrowth of the home-centered
lifestyle they have experienced while edu-
cating and discipling their children. Here
are some ways we can honor our parents
and other older relatives, especially if they
live at a distance.
Start the Conversation About the
Coming Season of Life
It is never too early to take care of some
important legal affairs while your parents
are able to tell you their wishes. What if
they were both in a car accident and could
not make their own decisions? Who could
make medical decisions on their behalf?
Would they want every possible medical in-
tervention to keep them alive even if there
was little hope of recovery and the treat-
ments caused more suffering? Who could
handle their financial affairs if they were
incapacitated?
It is vital that each adult thinks through
these issues and leaves a written record of
his desires. While in her fifties, my mother
decided to assemble a Family Notebook. It
contained copies of important legal documents, her financial advisors’ contact information, people to call at her passing,
funeral preferences, and much more. She
faithfully updated it through the years, and
it was so organized that when she died, we
didn’t even require an attorney to settle her
estate.
Many families find it awkward to discuss
end-of-life issues. Perhaps you can take the
lead by letting your siblings and parents
know that you are assembling important
information into your own Family Notebook. Encourage them to do the same.
Explain to your parents how grateful
you will be to have all of the information you need in one place if they become
www.TheOldSchoolhouse.com
Elder Care
by Marcia Washburn
Even our parents, those stalwarts of strength, will someday
need our help in the greatest role reversal of a lifetime.
Honoring Your Aging Parents
