Reply #7: Without Family, What Do You Have?

[KharmaTrain]

Maybe I'm from some strange planet, but I still am on my first marriage (over 25 yeras married, over 30 years together) and have two great children who I wouldn't hesitate to rely on and visa versa...no strings, no time limits. They've been my emotional safety net.

In my parents final years, their care and comfort was first and foremost...even above work or other activities. I stayed close to make sure they got the best care and their final wishes were fulfilled. We're in a similiar situation with my mother-in-law...and again...her care and welfare is of top importance here. We've stayed close all these years for this reason. We both believe our parents sacraficed a lot in their lives for us and this is our obligation. Appears my children feel the same way as well.

Unfortunately I know many families where this isn't the case. Kids have moved on to careers and then onto other parts of the country...families disintegrate and elderly parents are left o deal with aging and other difficulties on their own. When one of my parents was in a nursing home...I would visit almost every day, but couldn't help notice the many who were there who never had a visitor...ignored by family members who had difficultires seeing people get old and dealing with their problems.

We definitely have a social disconnect in this country...but its not just families. I have many neighbors on my block who've never talked to one another. Or I've been to parties where people clump in their own groups...safety in their own numbers, and don't socialize with those they don't know. I'd blame television, telephones and even the internet as allowing people to totall disconnect from the human touch...along with a culture that focused way too long on self fulfilment over the sense of the common good.