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When Roles Reverse: Caring for Aging Parents · HAVE FAITH LET IT BEGIN®

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  Here's the question. As we get older, it is our time to take care of our parents.
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  As we get older, we will see that the people that raised us,
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  those that are in our presence, are the ones that need the care that they provided us.
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  Are you ready to do that? Are your parents still with us?
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  And if they are, are you ready to help them get through their battling,
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  their challenges at the age that they're at.
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  Have Faith, Let It Begin starts right now.
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  It's Monday, and you know what that means. Welcome to Have Faith, Let It Begin.
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  Podcast of inspiration. It's a podcast of hope.
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  It's a podcast of faith, and it's a podcast of friendship.
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  Here is your host, Angel Santana, and special co-host, Dr. E.
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  We're a three podcast time. That's it, man. Let's rock and roll in three, two, one.
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  Dr. E is back. Dr. E, we're going to get right into it.
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  My parents getting older. A lot of things are happening right now.
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  Trying to get them new car insurance, trying to get them situated.
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  And it is very difficult, especially being the youngest of four,
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  to have to look your parents in the eye and say, don't worry,
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  I'm going to take over here and I'm going to help you.
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  But it's still difficult to see those people that you felt were,
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  you know, unbreakable being broken down piece by piece.
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  You know, Angel, what a beautiful topic. And I will say this is a topic that
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  I might have some expertise in.
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  So, you know, I will give you two scenarios. One is your scenario and one is my scenario.
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  So in my scenario, I'm an only child. So having lost my father at a very young
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  age, for me, it was a no brainer.
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  My mother was fiercely independent to the point of pathology,
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  but whatever she let me do, I would do.
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  And it was certainly a, it was a pleasure. It was an honor. It was a spiritual.
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  You know, a task and a spiritual reward to take care of my mom and have her die with dignity.
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  And then from a perspective like you with siblings becomes a little more complicated.
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  So not only do you have the pain of watching your strong and,
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  and, you know, guiding lights as parents, you know, start to get older and start
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  to show their age and start to break down.
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  You also then not you personally or whatever, but then you're going to have
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  to feel, you know, deal with family dynamics, right?
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  So with my beautiful wife, you know, she took unbelievable care of her parents
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  and she had two siblings who managed it very differently.
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  We had my mother-in-law live in our home, you know, for three years and she
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  was treated like I gave up my bedroom to her.
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  That's how much she was revered. Some people take that position where like the
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  sky's the limit and you will do anything for your family and take them into
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  your home and you will treat them like gods and goddesses.
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  And that's one way and give them everything they possibly could need both for
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  safety and their healthcare, as well as the enjoyment of their life or what it's left of their life.
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  Or you could go the other way and just not be helpful. It's very complicated
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  issue. It's a very complicated subject.
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  But as I said, I live both ends of it. And I will say that my recommendation.
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  Is to do more rather than do less and participate more and try to bridge differences
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  with your siblings in order to put the needs of the parents above your own needs.
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  And if you guys do that, I think that you will be blessed in so many ways that
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  I can't even describe it.
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  I agree. And I thank you for that comment, but I also want to end this way too.
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  I am not a perfect man. I found myself for a very short period of time while
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  running errands, getting a little frustrated, frustrated because I,
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  I had things I had to do, but thank the Lord.
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  And I thank you God immensely for knocking some sense into my, into right into my face.
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  I remember just for just a quick second hearing, I felt like maybe even the
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  voice of somebody in my family, I don't know, saying, but you don't know how
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  much longer you're going to have them. So why don't you enjoy every second?
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  And my attitude changed. So I wanted to say that because I wanted to let everybody
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  know that if you are feeling that way, you're not alone. We get frustrated. We're human.
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  So it's okay to be a little frustrated, but just have a little bit more patience
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  because when you wanted that toy, they got it for you.
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  When you wanted that bike, they got it for you.
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  When your father was in the basement trying to create miracles to figure out
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  whether he's going to turn the heat off or have a Christmas, Christmas came.
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  You have to remember that they do things for the best of your ability.
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  And now it's time to return the favor. Let's pray.
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  Heavenly Father, you gave us life. You gave us hope. You gave us parents.
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  You gave us inspiration.
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  We gave us hope and you gave us wisdom.
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  All that couldn't be possible without the birth of the children of our parents
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  and our parents' parents and so on and so forth.
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  We ask you now, Lord, to give all of us some patience to place your healing hands upon us.
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  And also for those that have taken care of their parents and have gone on to
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  be with the Lord and maybe feel lonely, feel that they have,
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  maybe they didn't do enough, feel like they could have done more.
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  I say this to you, God bless you for what you did.
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  God bless you for the time you took to be with your father, mother,
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  grandmother, whoever raised you.
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  And thank you for having the patience and thank God for allowing that to come through.
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  May God be with you. May he shine his light upon you and grant each and every
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  single one of you peace on earth. And never forget, Have Faith,
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  Let It Begin, baby. Beautifully done, Angel.
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  Take care. Thank you for listening to Have Faith, Let It Begin. We'll be back tomorrow.
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  Thank you for listening to another episode of Have Faith, Let It Begin.
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  That's right, Ariel. We're done with another show. And it's always great to
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  have this show with you, my love.
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  every single weekday. That's right. You and I are going to help change the world.
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  Do you think that you can do that for me? Huh? Yeah, you know you can.
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  Fasten those seatbelts, because Ariel and I and my family are going to bring
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  you a new topic, a new story, each and every day, right? Isn't that right, Ariel?
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  Yeah. And we...
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  She's smiling at me. guys enjoy
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  your day thank you for listening to have faith for begin we'll be back.
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  Music.