So, we're a grown up now and probably don't recognize ourselves as a child. But we are still a child, although we will get strange looks if we park in a "parent and child" space if we happen to go shopping with our father or mother.
Until both of our parents are passed on and we have been promoted, so to speak, we remain a child. And we have some responsibility. We have a duty - now we are a Rule Player - to be courteous, thoughtful, patient, and co-operative towards our parents.
Yes, yes, I know they drive us mad but from now on we have a role and it is simply this:
- To behave impeccably with them
- To look after them if that's what they need / want
- To back off if that's what they need / want
- To listen to them when they witter on, without losing our rag or sighing
- To appreciate that they have had a long and hard life and gathered a lot of experience - some of which may be of some use to us - and we won't know if we carry on shaking our head and ignoring everything they say.
- To visit, write, phone, communicate more often than we think we should - but probably not as much as they think we should.
- Not to bad mouth them in front of our children but to talk them up as being the greatest grandparents in the world.
- To be pleased when they come to stay and happily let them watch whatever TV programme they want without complaining.
And why will we do all this? Because they gave us life, brought us up. Yes, yes, I know they made mistakes along the way but we forgive them all of them and we turned out fine. Oh yes we did.
Parents deserve decent treatment when they get old and need attention and someone to listen to them and take them seriously - and they make great baby / dog sitters (and usually free as well).