The other day, I was texting with one of my aunts and she told me that my maternal grandmother who lives with her and another aunt alternately, has been having issues which come with old age.

My grandmother is almost 90 and one of my fears is that she will pass away before I get a chance to meet her one last time. She already has had a heart scare earlier in the year and as my only surviving grandparent, I am scared to lose her.

Another person I am worried about is my dad who turned 75 earlier in the year. He also has some medical issues which we thankfully spotted on time and has been in treatment for the past few years. But to see the once strong man slowly being reduced to being dependent on others, is fairly scary.

This poem is a reflection of my thoughts.

The Fear

I know that when a person gets old
The fear of death starts to take hold
I wonder when the ball will fall
When someone you love will stop and stall

I fear the time when you can’t hear their voice
You can’t see them, smell them, and know that you don’t have a choice
This fear is all encompassing, it takes over your entire being
But this dear also makes you stop living, start crying

That’s the wrong approach to take, life is meant to be lived, not to be in pain
Because death is inevitable, birth and death are two sides of the same coin
Live your life as best as you can, learn to embrace your loved ones
Meet them, speak to them live with them without any fictions

Then when it is time, let them go on their terms
Don’t hold them back, revel in their lives
This is harder than it looks, I know
But learn to go with the flow, to take that blow

For our lives will go on, irrespective of what happens
That’s the circle of life, with birth comes death