This past week, my parents confirmed with me their plans to retire. It wasn’t an unexpected conversation, but one that was rather well-anticipated. After all, both of them had recently passed the threshold into their sixties. My dad’s moustache was going white, and my mom’s hip never seemed to be in alignment. The careers they once loved were becoming burdensome, and the idea of spending more time together and with their grand-kids was ever-appealing. It was time for them to enjoy their lives, that much was obvious.
But for all the reasons I listed above, I never could have anticipated my mother’s justification of the decision. (Not that it needed any justification, mind you, but that’s the way my mom is.)
What she said was that they were running out of time. That they were getting older, and that while they were healthy now, they had no way of knowing what the future held in store. It was time for them to grab life by reins, and I agreed. But for the first time in my life, I realized I was also confronting my parent’s mortality. My mom and dad were getting older. They were actually, physically getting older. And one day, they wouldn’t be there anymore.
It's pretty grim, I know, but I also guess that’s just where we all end up eventually. It’s a fact of life. No one gets to spend forever in this world, and I already feel extremely privileged to have known my parents for as long as I have. I wouldn’t chose anybody else in the world to take their spot. They're mom and dad, and I’m so proud to call them my own — but now every second seems even more precious. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. Or next week. Or 20 years from now.
But I do know I love them.
I love my parents and I want to see them take advantage of every opportunity this world has for them. I want them to travel, to see the world, to spend time with my sisters and me. I want them to be happy, and in turn I want to be a part of that happiness. I want to watch them enjoy each other, to reap the benefits of so many hard years and late nights. My parents deserve as many golden years as they can possibly see. This is their time now, however long that may be, and I’m proud to share in it.
After all, I still have a long ways to go. Where my parents and I sit are on opposite ends of the spectrum, but I’m just as proud to see them retire as they are to see me graduate. We’re enjoying our lives, however different they may be. We’re enjoying our lives because life is ultimately fleeting. One day my parents will no longer be here. One day I won’t even be here.
Suddenly, every moment seems a little more precious. All because my parents decided to retire.
