Growing Old…
I arrived in Japan last Friday. It was less than a week after the strongest typhoon in the history hit the main island, and this was the second big one to hit the same area in a month. The regions surrounding Tokyo rarely get affected this much as the typhoons often hit the further southwest of the country, but I can still see the aftermath here and there. As I watch the news on TV, the biggest problem is the enormous amount of trash that came out of this typhoon. It’s heartbreaking that people lost their homes and belongings due to the damage caused by the powerful storm.
… And I realize I was on the thread to write about the concerns for climate change and waste pollution, but I wanted to write about why I’m here! Although it is important to talk about the environmental concerns, it is just as important for me to think about my ailing mother and how she’s being cared for.
Mom’s is 91-years old. While she doesn’t have any major health issues, she is quite frail living in a tiny and cluttered apartment by herself. Thankfully, the Japanese government provides some long-term care, which assigns a care manager and care giver, which really helps but in my opinion not enough. Yet they say there just not enough trained people to meet the demands of the ailing populations. What was most helpful for me was getting together with my friends who are all dealing with the same issues. Many of my friends’ parents both here and back home in the U.S. are in the 90s and going strong. Some are better off than my mom and some are worse off, yet we all share the same concerns. And I can’t help but to wonder how my life would be as I get older as I (and quite a few of my friends) don’t have kids.
I notice this is much deeper topic to write about, and I can’t in this moment. I’m just grateful that I got to spend time with mom to hear what she wants, meet with her care manager and the caregivers so that I can stay in touch with them from California. And I’m grateful for the communities I belong such as the Sangha where I know the support exists.
#YouCanSitWithUs