This isn't entirely relevant, but my dad passed away a couple years ago, he was only 67 and I was 30, and during the course of his illness, I had ample opportun

This isn't entirely relevant, but my dad passed away a couple years ago, he was only 67 and I was 30, and during the course of his illness, I had ample opportunity to think about aging and dying. I think the most important thing to remember is that people grow old and die. This fact seems so obvious that people nearly roll their eyes when you tell them, but I've seen people in their 60's and older just torn apart by the very normal things that happen as their parents die, mostly revolving around really not wanting to believe that their parents are dying. I remember someone in their 70's saying that it wasn't fair that their father, who was in his 90's, had cancer. What should have been gratitude for such a long life was replaced by bitterness that it had to end at all, which seems unfortunate. It's hard to handle mortality gracefully, but really, fully internalizing that you have a finite amount of time with your parents makes it easier to deal with the frustrations of daily life, and also helps you keep a clear head when it comes down to it and tough decisions need to be made. As much as it sucks, you will be the one holding their hands through the end, and it can be a profound experience if it's not just a giant cloud of negativity and overwhelm (which is totally understandable, but not necessarily the only way!).