And then they turned into Old People

Hi there. We are Old People.

Sarah's parents have joined our ranks.

My parents are wonderful. Eccentric. Delightful. Strange. Pungent. I've known this for as long as I can remember. I expect this from them when I visit.

What I didn't expect on my last visit was to find that they are Old. Officially. Not just the charming graceful aging you see on TV sitcoms or Betty White cameo appearances, but the actual aging that makes you wonder what we'll do for them if/when they decline a bit more.

I found that my mom sits in the same chair all day and tells the same joke. She wakes up at night and isn't sure where the bathroom is in a house she's lived in for over 30 years.

I found that my dad loses his train of thought more often than not, isn't sure where his money goes, takes an afternoon nap that sometimes lasts 8 hours, and several of his teeth have fallen out.

So there you have it: Old. Officially. I am not sure how to handle it, really.

I want them to maintain their independence as much as possible.

I want them to enjoy the remaining days of their lives.

If you come right down to it, I just want them to still be the parents I remember them being, but that defies a few laws of the human existence so I'm not keeping my fingers crossed for that to happen.

Have your parents gotten Old? What on earth do you do about it?