My sister called today and wanted to talk about Dad and his declining health. Now Dad is going on 70 and had a hard, blue collar life, so his body is about worn out. Thankfully the union is covering all his medical expenses and he has a decent retirement fund. He’s still living in his own home and still drives, so he’s pretty independent in many ways. With my sister being the main caregiver of the family, her calling me about him was a little alarming.

Turns out it’s not really an emergency or anything all that hairy. She is frustrated with his refusal to do certain things the doctors want him to do and she called me to ask for some support in persuading him to cooperate. On the other hand, the subject is a little touchy and it is hard to start parenting your own parent.