For What Are You Waiting?

Today's post is a little off-topic.  I've just spent the first of what will sure to be many long weekend trips to my parents' home.  It's definitely not a hardship to head to Florida in February, but the reason for the trip is difficult.  As you saw last year, my parents have been married for 51 years, and you also saw that my Dad is much older than my Mom.  Well, Dad's years are catching up to him, and he requires that Mom become a full-time caregiver.  This change came on rather quickly and Mom needed family to come and help her change gears and arrange for outside help.  So, we all converged on home this weekend.  Although it's really tough watching a parent age and their health decline, as I've said before, Mom is happy that this stage in their lives waited until Dad was almost 91 years old.  She feels really fortunate, as do I.  They have lived life fully, gone everywhere in the world they wanted, and experienced everything they needed to be physically healthy in order to do together.

Which brings me to the topic du jour.  We spend a lot of time here in the Trenches dealing with people whose lives are at a low point.  Divorce and all its attendant issues are really difficult.  Even apart from all the legal wrangling, there's getting used to a new lifestyle, making new friends (after you've figured out who were your real friends), and developing interests outside of those you enjoyed as a couple.  Some people adjust easily, and some never do.  I know this has been a constant message here in the Trenches, but "For what are you waiting?"  Do the moon and the stars have to be in perfect alignment before you can get out there and live?  There will never be a perfect time, and sometimes the perfect time is the time you least feel like making the effort.  We all have regrets, we have situations we wish we could have handled differently; they are not excuses for not moving on.  If you suddenly were no longer mobile, are there things you would regret not doing?  If so, make a list and concentrate checking them off as you experience them.  This has been a public service message from Here in the Trenches.