old age

as I hadn't seen my mum for about 8 weeks I thought I would go up and make her sunday lunch for mothering sunday. I was in for a bit of a shock!. I know she is 'old' but she has changed so much in 8 weeks. She also knows it and doesn't like it as she has always been so independent and now she is needing much more help.

Speaking to my sister who lives nearest her afterwards, it became apparent that there is much I haven't known about and Hazel is having to cope with a lot really and I'm now wondering if there is anything I can do - even though I live 1 1/2 hours away.

It is quite sad seeing someone you love become old, someone you have always known as your parent starting to need 'parenting' and you start to prepare yourself for the inevitable and yet how can you... you start thinking of everything that person might miss out on, and then you start wanting to hang on, just like she is wanting to hang on to what she knows and loves.