February 7th, 2014 by Zac

I always hated to sweep the kitchen floor as a kid growing up. It felt so mundane. Plus, I thought it was mom’s job. And my mom cheerfully swept 99% of time.

But when I was home in Arkansas for Christmas this year, I had a different feeling sweeping my mom’s kitchen floor. She is 84 now and my dad is 89. They have both come to that place where the normal chores of life have moved into a new category – DIFFICULT. Mom struggles to find the energy to cook. She needs help to go up and down the stairs. She can’t read labels any more. Dad can’t carry in wood for the fireplace or remember where the checkbook is or whether they’ve eaten lunch or not.

So, as I swept the floor this time, It felt like some kind of honor.

Honor that I had a chance to do the mundane things for mom.

Honor that I now have plenty of strength and motivation that my parents can benefit from, after I benefited from theirs all those years.

Honor that says, mom shouldn’t have to sweep after all these faithful years!!

Honor that says, it’s high time son serves parents for a while!

So, the more I helped, the happier I felt, that I could sweep and vacuum and clean and wash and cook and repair.

It’s obvious that all parents get to that place where life changes. Things don’t function like they did before. It’s time to slow down and adjust life to live happily and peacefully in the Senior phase. So, for me it was a pleasure to be a small part in adjusting their environment for the next stretch.

Some of the changes were subtle, like 100 watt bulbs in the lamps. Others were more significant, like changing the wood burning fire to gas logs. But all in all, each change helped the mundane become more manageable.

I can’t say that it wasn’t somewhat unsettling to see my parents entering into the doors of the senior phase. Partly because I want to see my parents enjoy life forever like they always have – partly because I know that I’m not that far behind them in age myself. And I have children of my own pushing me down the road of life.

And on top of all that, my son doesn’t like to sweep the floor either! But hopefully, someday he will feel the same sense of honor as I felt during this Christmas time.