by Charlie Brooks posted in Parenting

My mom died about a year ago. With my father having died 14 years earlier, this leaves me as the oldest living member of my immediate family. I can?t say that fact has changed me, because it only dawned on me recently. I have, however, learned a lot in the past year.
From a parenting perspective, the death of your kids? grandmother adds an extra twist of the knife. You want to share as much of yourself with your kids as possible, and losing your parents leaves a void. You can tell stories about them, but that?s not the same as meeting the real people.
On the bright side, my kids did get to meet their Nana, and she was a strong enough personality to make a lasting impression on them. Her belief in ghosts alone has been enough to keep my son talking about her long after she?s been gone.
What I've Learned
The last year has taught me a few more things, including the following:
Changing to healthy habits is hard to do. My parents died in their 60s, which means my life is more than half over if I follow that trend. As such, I?m working on developing healthy habits. A year in and...I?m still working at it. Health is a work in progress, but well worth the effort.
Parents often serve as social anchors. I?ve worked hard to keep in touch with my brothers, but it becomes harder when you can?t just meet at Mom?s house around birthdays and holidays. By staying in touch with parents, you often keep in touch with other loved ones as well.
Memories a...