The kids are alright...I hope.

Look at them. They're younger than my kids are now. They have no idea what's in store for them. An entire lifetime of joy, excitement, wonder, discovery, heartbreak, trials, sadness and sometimes, quiet moments of contentedness.

Today, they start the next chapter in their book of life. Sometimes I realize that I think of them as simply a conglomeration of medical issues. They're macular degeneration and dementia. They're osteo-arthritis and vascular Parkinsonism. They're hypertension and diabetes.

Today, the day that they move into their new assisted living apartment, their new "forever home," I want to think about the people inside those withered and beaten-down bodies. Here is who these two people became:

They raised four children as best they could. They lost one of them, a four-year old daughter, to leukemia in 1968. It was a heartbreak so painful, it forever changed them and the family. And yet they moved on. They fulfilled their promise to do something they never did - they gave their kids college educations. 


He was a commercial artist. He was talented and ambitious and built his own company that thrived through many years and finally crumbled for too many reasons. And yet, he pulled himself up and managed to survive. 


She stayed at home and raised the kids. She cooked, she cleaned...she took care of everyone...except herself. 


He used to own horses and then his obsession turned to race cars. That hobby would be the backdrop of their family life. Fun, danger, excitement - a team effort that made him the star. 


She learned to cook and sew and garden and consumed books with a passion until her eyes gave out. Her Polish heritage never really left her. She often translated for her neighbors and their cleaning ladies. But mostly, when we all left, she took care of him. 

Today, they will no longer live in my house. They'll forever be in my care, but now they'll have at least an approximation of their former independence. Funny, but they started out in an apartment and now they are back in one. It may seem like a step back, but I'm hoping they'll find it to be a step forward. I'm praying that they find the peace, safety, stability, comfort and joy that they deserve.

God bless, Mom and Dad.