Is there a graceful way to care for the elderly as they age? 

In my experience, caring for someone in need is often a one-way, thankless job. Although kindness and servitude come from the sunniest, most wonderful places of the human heart, oftentimes, people who are aging forget that it’s not a given. Especially parents. This mom raised three children on her own, which is no small feat, but as she started reaching her golden years, she felt that her success earned her the honor of having her retirement cushioned by her working children’s salaries. 

After a lifetime of serving her kids, which, may I remind you, was entirely her choice, she decided that she would demand $300 cash from each of her offspring every month so that she could live a plush lifestyle during her retirement. 

$300? In this economy?

While I’m all for family members helping each other out of tough situations and being there for one another as the road gets rocky, this aging mother is totally off base. Although she wanted to live comfortably in her old age, putting financial strain on her kids isn’t the right way to go about it. Alas, there was only one of her children who was stubborn enough to stand up to her, because for them, $300 a month wasn’t just a chunk of chump change, but it was gas money, groceries, and money for their own bills they had piling up on the kitchen counter.