Cruelty

My parents' ten day visit is winding down.  In truth, it's been one of the easiest, most enjoyable times I've spent with them in years.  It's bittersweet.  Their limitations and encroaching senility make them more pleasant to be around.  Their marriage, which for most of my life was something they endured, comforts them.  The mornings haven't started with sharp, angry words hurled at each other from across the breakfast table.  Their animosity has weakened along with their bones and memory.   They are more accepting of each other and of me.  Their concerns about my future, and all that is missing in my life hasn't been a focal point of our conversations.   If I was offered the trade -- to go back in time, to have vibrant, youthful parents again -- I would certainly hesitate for I would be restoring the tension as well.  In its cruelty, life can beautiful.