Sunday is a good day to talk about circle of life moments.

Growing older and hitting our peak years brings many opportunities, but it also brings its share of challenges. Caring for aging, declining parents is a big one. We’ve had a bit of that in our family recently, including this week. Fortunately everyone is fine, but it got me thinking.

Without warning your plans and goals can be totally disrupted when an elderly parent has a crisis. Sure, the same is true when you’re raising kids. 

There’s an important difference: when a child has a health issue usually they want and expect your help. But when the patient is an elderly parent who has enjoyed a lifetime of independence? That’s another matter. I don’t know the etymology of the word stubborn, but whoever first applied it to a person likely had a parent in mind.

Between navigating their emotions (and your own), and the confusing, labyrinth-nature of our health care system, it can quickly become all consuming.

We’re fortunate in our family that to date these incidents have been limited and temporary. For some people caring for a parent is an everyday worry.

These circle of life moments remind us of our obligations to the people who raised us. Also, if you’re in your peak years, you start to realize that in the snap of a finger the shoe will be on the other foot. Many of us are closer to 80 than 30 or 40. 

It’s a teachable moment for families with young adult children. Not only can they learn from your example but for the first time as adults they have an opportunity to process the realities of aging – the good, bad and ugly. We joke with our kids that one of the reasons we had four is that it increases the odds that at least one of them will be willing to help us when we get old.

In the end, amidst the relentless demands of our jobs and careers, the opportunity to be there for our aging parents is a poignant lesson in gratitude. 

Gratitude for all the time you’ve been given together. 

Gratitude for the people who brought us into this world and sacrificed so much so we could have better lives. 

Gratitude for family to lean on when things get tough. 

Gratitude for the hard-working people in our health-care system.  

And gratitude for the gift of another day to chase our dreams.