Letting go Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. —John 14:1–4
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any caregivers of older people find that they have to treat their loved ones like children. They make decisions on their behalf, or stop them from doing things on their own in case they hurt themselves. It’s understandable, as some older people need the same attention and care that young children do.
informed decisions? If so, we need to acknowledge their autonomy and respect their freedom to choose, even if their decisions may have consequences that are less than desirable. If these decisions are likely to harm others, we should try negotiation or discussion first.
But this can be frustrating for them. Some may feel offended at having their choices constantly disregarded. Others may feel discouraged, lose confidence in themselves, and become even more dependent on their caregivers.
According them this respect is not only important, but biblical as well. The Bible instructs us to obey our parents and respect our elders (Exodus 20:12; 1 Peter 5:5). It also stresses that each of us is accountable for our own actions (Matthew 12:36–37; Romans 14:12).
Perhaps we need to ask ourselves: are our aged parents still mentally capable of making
We need to learn to “let go” of our parents and let them make their own decisions—and
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