Growing up as a child you are presented with as many luxuries and activities your parents could afford even to the extent that they are lacking. Ideally, the concept of a parent is to provide your children with an increase from that of your childhood experience. That is whatever you were lacking as a kid, you thought was your responsibility to provide for your children with increase.
Parenting Does Not Come With a Toolkit
In some cases it is unfortunate that your parenting skills come from examples set by your parents or those responsible for your upbringing. Not all of us are raised in the best scenario; namely, in a healthy, natural or loving environment. An environment full of joy was not privileged to every child. In such cases a parenting toolkit would be an excellent source of guidance.
Moral Principles
"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6) Found under moral, ethical and spiritual precepts in the Bible's Book of Proverbs.
"You should carefully teach them [God's precepts] to your sons, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and rise up. And everything about your house; its decorations, the pictures and plaques you hang, the magazines that lie around, the TV shows you watch, the music you listen to, the entertainment you engage in; should all be tools of teaching your children of God and His holiness." (Deuteronomy 6:7-9) http://a-voice.org/main/raischld.htm
The Holy Bible speaks volume clearly without a need for additional interpretation, and it is the only viable toolkit available in life. The "he" referenced above is directed toward males and females.
Bell-Shaped Curve
If you are in your 40s or upward in age and think of your parents as the X-factor, and you (their child) as the Y-factor then you are at a point of reflection (between red midpoint area). Interpretation: you are now in the peak of your life's curve and your living parents are on the right-sided downward slope of the curve (green to blue area). The reference is to the below bell-shaped curve where as the left side is indicative of your youthful years newborn and up, middle of curve at the mean point is your middle age and the right down sloping side are the elder years.
In simple terms, you are probably faced with or is visualizing an impending need to become a caregiver to your living parent(s). Yes, people are living much longer than in the past due to enhanced health solutions and discoveries.
Return on Parental Investment
Essentially our parents raised us through age 25 in many cases (including college and our return home to launch careers). Give or take a couple of mishaps along the way that required our return home. So let us just guess that we owe our parents at least 30 years of our support, if needed.
Given the shift in the US economy, it is likely that your parent(s) have lost jobs from which he/she had planned to retire. Perhaps there was an accident that caused unrepairable damage. In either case, doing the right thing may come with some discomfort in your lifestyle. However, if you were that child that was trained up in such a way that he or she should go when old, thinking of your parent as a burden would never happen. You will love them even through your possible financial hardship, continue with that loving communication and you will both enjoy each other through the end with gratitude in your heart.
Motivational Shift
Motivate your parents while they are in their 40s and upward to accomplish tasks that perhaps they intended to, but were unable to do so. For instance, your parent may have delayed his/her education because of the unplanned pregnancy of you or your sibling early in their life. Encourage him/her to return to college. Help them fill out the FAFSA paperwork, select and apply to a college/university, and aid with developing tasks. It will be a rewarding experience. Lost jobs do not mean lost of ability to be self-sufficient, but may indicate that re-education is necessary to regain independence. You become the motivator, it will be greatly appreciated. [SN: My daughter motivated me, and I will graduate this Summer 2011. I love you daughter.]
The Sequel Continues
Hopefully, our children will reciprocate by bringing us into their homes when we are unable to adequately care for ourselves, because we have lead by example with our parents. As you age the thought of yourselves becoming dependents is inevitable.
Love Life, Embrace Life and do it through Biblical Principles and Precepts.
