Can I just take a nap?

Spending a lot of time with two elderly people, I've learned many things:

• It's possible to be cold even when it's 85 degrees outside or in a room.
• If there is a way to screw up a television remote control, a senior citizen will find it in less than 3 minutes.
• Napping is ALWAYS an option.

I've noticed that when I leave my parents alone to watch TV or read/listen to a book, at some point, one or both of them will fall asleep. My Dad will do it beginning as early as 9am. He will continue to do it throughout the day if somebody doesn't wake him up.

I'm always torn in these instances. On the one hand, I feel like it's my responsibility to make sure my parents are somewhat socially engaged and, at least a tiny bit, physically active.

On the other hand, after 81 years, haven't they really, truly EARNED a nap? I mean seriously. My Dad worked his butt off for YEARS so that we could have a nice life and go to college. My Mom worked equally as hard making sure there were clean clothes and meals on the table. And even after we moved out, they spent a bit of time worrying about us kids and sometimes babysitting OUR kids or pets.

Sometimes when I wake my Dad up to do something, he opens one eye and glares at me as if to say: "Really? You need me to wake up? Because I can't think of anything you have to offer that's better than watching the inside of my eyelids."

I can't blame him...and most of the time, I want to join him.

I don't know who this Ron Rauss guy is who wrote this book that I found in the box of Cheerios this morning but he's got one thing wrong: There should be an old person on the cover of the book.