My mother died today

[MineralMan]

261. And she was lucky to have you there.

I do realize how unusual my situation is, too. My wife is feeling the loss of her mother. She didn't live with us, but we moved to Minnesota to be near her and her late husband. We've been very active in her mother's support, and it was a tough loss, even though she was 88 years old when she died.

Both my wife and I realize that supporting our parents in their old age is as important for us as it is for them. Whenever we feel impatient with them, we try to remember all those years they spent raising us from infancy to adulthood. It's a debt we can only repay by being there for them in their waning years.

I would like to be nearer my own parents, but we made our choice, based on my siblings still living near my parents and being able to provide support and care. We're going back there at the end of April to spend some time with them. We can't afford to move back to California, though.

Thank you for being there to care for your mother. It's an important and worthy thing to do. I'm sure she appreciated it very, very much.