sages of long ago

My mom is 75 years old. My dad is 82. And right now they are in their bedroom, and I could hear them talking about life. They are talking about the house, and the changes they wish to make if they only lived here. They are talking as though they have many, many more years to live. And I think to myself... wow, don't they realize how old they are?? 20 years from now, my dad will be over a hundred...and yet, he is thinking about picking apples from a tree he has yet to plant.

My parents seem to get so much older each time I get to see them... which is about once a year or less. Time has battled with them mercilessly. They both have gout and arthritis and cataracts and withering bones. Yet, their spirits are mighty and strong. My mom stares at her knobbly aching joints and says, "you are not slowing me down today," as she hobbles to the kitchen with her cane to chop some fish. My dad, who can barely see through his cataracts, just fixed the TV that was on its way to the trash.

Together, they watch the DNC which is going on in Denver. My dad yells at the democrats, declaring their incompetency (he's a bleeding heart republican), and my mom just laughs. She then says, "time for your medicine," and she lovingly applies the eye drops and they go through their medication regimen together. They have been married a very, very, very long time. They have been through so much together... (they survived me and my teenaged years). And I could see, through their quiet ways... that they so love each other.