Seniors: Have you told your elderly parents how much you love and respect them? (emotionally, long distance)

[TheShadow]

Both died long before I became a senior. As for Mom, she knew. I was there for her week in and week out. I was her transportation and was with her for every doctor appt and hospitalization. I visited her when she was in hospital just about every day. So she knew.

Dad didn't really ever spend time growing up, and after I was an adult, forget about it, saw him once every 5 or so year. In his last years he had ALzheimers, so he wouldn't have known me anyway. I didn't love him, and I didn't tell him that either.

DH's mom lived with us, and then in IL and AL before she passed. We saw her all the time, and we told her we love her all the time.

[sspistol]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

Owning the problem with my mother, I've told my stepmother a number of times that I didn't really appreciate what she'd gone through and thanked her.

Good on you.

[Clemencia53]

Originally Posted by TheShadow

Both died long before I became a senior. As for Mom, she knew. I was there for her week in and week out. I was her transportation and was with her for every doctor appt and hospitalization. I visited her when she was in hospital just about every day. So she knew.

Dad didn't really ever spend time growing up, and after I was an adult, forget about it, saw him once every 5 or so year. In his last years he had ALzheimers, so he wouldn't have known me anyway. I didn't love him, and I didn't tell him that either.

DH's mom lived with us, and then in IL and AL before she passed. We saw her all the time, and we told her we love her all the time.

I was sort of shocked when a person told me that their mom was having heart surgery. I asked her where and when. She had no clue since she wasn't going. What

But then i am when i have to take a sibling to the heart doctor and they have adult kids that don't bother to be there. What the heck

[Teacher Terry]

My parents are long dead. They knew how much I loved them. We spent a lot of time together.

[HollyhockGarden]

I had wonderful parents; they were older than typical parents of 1950's babies. I was born a few months shy of my dad's 40th birthday.

Yes, I did tell them how much I loved and appreciated them, to the very end.

[oldsoldier1976]

both of my parents have passed away. My wife still has her mother who is living with us but my parents knew I loved them. I told them often.

[NewbieHere]

I took care of my mom for years on my own with no complaining, my mother knew that I loved her. With my dad I cane and visited him regularly when he was in nursing home. I’m the only kid he wanted to move in, and he always loved my husband. I didn’t say it out loud but my actions were.
What I did 2 years ago when I met my aunt, we don’t meet often, only at weddings, I gave her a kiss, that was a hit, all of my cousins reacted very kindly after that. I didn’t know at the time I gave her a kiss. The kiss was to thank her for taking care of my mom when my mom was ill. I’m glad I made her feel loved and appreciated.

[WellShoneMoon]

Originally Posted by Clemencia53

I was sort of shocked when a person told me that their mom was having heart surgery. I asked her where and when. She had no clue since she wasn't going. What

But then i am when i have to take a sibling to the heart doctor and they have adult kids that don't bother to be there. What the heck

Seems like you have very high expectations for people. I'll bet you get disappointed a lot.

[WellShoneMoon]

My mother is 97 years old, in an assisted living facility 1000 miles away. My brother lives in her area, and he manages her finances.

I visit my mother about twice a year, each trip costing me about a thousand dollars, considering air fare, hotel, and rental car. Each time I'm there I tell her I love her. I don't really mean it, but I feel it's expected of me. She certainly never said it to me until about 25 years ago. It has always sounded fake when she says it, and I know it's fake when I say it back.

[Spuggy]

Originally Posted by Clemencia53

I was sort of shocked when a person told me that their mom was having heart surgery. I asked her where and when. She had no clue since she wasn't going. What

But then i am when i have to take a sibling to the heart doctor and they have adult kids that don't bother to be there. What the heck

you have no clue why some seniors have no adult children by their side, if it’s not abuse, their adult children May live thousands of miles away, are ill themselves, are at work, have wee ones at home, May have been told not to worry, or not told at all ( my mother many years ago never told me she was in hospital because she claimed she didn’t want to worry me) .
Don’t be so quick to judge.