The inevitable goodbye

This is the inevitable goodbye we all have to face with our aged, ailing parents, and it can be heartbreaking. — Tribune News Service

“STOP spitting; swallow, Mum!” She ignores me and keeps trying to push the food to the front of her mouth. I stare at her sternly and warn her not to spit again.

And so, the daily struggle to make my mother eat her dinner continues. This particular evening, I stepped in to help with the feeding because Mum was being particularly difficult and Mary, her Filipino caregiver, was getting quite stressed.