I have always valued the goal of honoring my father and mother. I know the good they did for me throughhout my life, and I want to be there for them too. Being there for Mom and Dad is a moving target--what "being there" meant a few years ago is different now. How can I honor them now? What can I do?
Presence
Simply being there is important. To be there to offer camaraderie, friendship, and support is valuable. I want this to be a regular part of my schedule.
Delicious Meals
Sometimes I hit this goal and sometimes I miss it. It takes practice to prepare good foods for people that don't live with you. I will continue to work at meeting this goal.
Home cleaning and upkeep
I like to be busy and translating that busyness into home upkeep and cleaning is positive when it comes to honoring Mom and Dad.
Joy
Finding ways to bring the joy to life is important too. Yesterday I brought up a small gift for Mom's birthday. She smiled as she opened the gift and said, "Is it my birthday?" That brought some joy. For dad, I bought him another one of his favorite golf shirts--he loves a good golf shirt that blocks the harmful sun rays. I want to think about more ways that I can bring the joy and diffuse the challenge that late life can sometimes bring.
Positivity
There's no need to fixate on the challenges of life, but instead honoring Mom and Dad is a time to focus on the positivity that's out there.
I want to make honoring Mom and Dad a regular part of life, and I want to continue to think about how I can make that happen. Onward.