I myself, have two parents that were WW2 vets....
my dad was on the Essex, the Battaan, the Munda Bay among others.....
my mom was stateside as a nurse.....in Washington Dc and at a TB hospital unit as well....
my mom is in Hospice as well....given only 2 to 3 months to live as of the end of January.....I don't know what keeps her going....isnt' eating or drinking much....no pills.....she uses pain patches....
truth is, she will be gone very soon and I can honestly say that I have dreaded the day that I would lose my mom since I was a child....and now all these years later, do you think my age would make a differance?....No way......
and when my dad dies, I will consider myself an orphan.....
As we journey though life, each new experience helps us to better understand what others are suffering (if we have the proper attitude of unselfishness) and can help them through their difficulties. Each day that passes I see that the ONLY thing that matters is making it to Heaven. Politics doesn't matter, worldy goods don't matter, the petty things people (influenced by Satan) do don't matter, etc., etc. -- Getting to Heaven is ALL that matters.