Kina is getting really sensitive about her parents growing older, and since I am generally regarded as The Eldest In The Family, she’s extra touchy about my age and gray (not white) hair. It has been sort of interesting to note how much more she is worried about my getting old than I am worried about my getting old, because I think I have much more to lose in the bargain here. Still, it’s touching to think about what I mean to her and why the idea of my not being here someday makes her nervous. I remember feeling that way about my own father when I was younger—maybe a little bit older than Kina—and wanting to make sure he was wearing his seatbelt and driving carefully. I still worry about him and my mom in the ways that Kina worries about me and Laurea, but I have a lot more life with them than Kina has with me. I can’t do a whole lot to assuage her concerns about mortality, but I have at least promised her that I will drive carefully.
dad