My parents are older than most parents of people my age. My dad is ninety-five, and my mom is nineteen years younger than he. There is a slow transition that is imperceptible from one day to the next, but after some time, you find that the parents that have cared for you from birth now need you to care for them. My parents have been blessed with excellent health and remain very independent. However, everyone slows down as they get older, and to maintain their same quality of life, we, the younger generation, need to be there for them just like they were there for us.

Today I took my dad to see his cardiologist, and all tests indicate a healthy heart. Seeing him on the treadmill for the stress test and telling the cardiologist that he felt really good was wonderful. I didn’t feel lucky; I felt blessed.