Dear friend,
This short article by Tim Urban called The Tail End is worth re-reading often.
The takeaway? This reminder: We don't have that much time left with our loved ones.
As Urban writes, during the first 18 years of his life, he spent some time with his parents at least 90% of his days, as did most of us.
But after college and moving away from his hometown, he now only sees his mom & dad around 10 days a year.
"It turns out that when I graduated from high school, I had already used up 93% of my in-person parent time. I’m now enjoying the last 5% of that time. We’re in the tail end."
It's become more important than ever for me to be with my parents at every major moment—their birthdays, anniversary, holidays, etc. I'm treasuring every moment.
1. 🧮 The See Your Folks Calculator
This website was one of the main inspirations when starting Parents Are Human.
Enter your parents’ location, their ages, and how often you see them to calculate the number of times you'll see your parents before they die based on the World Health Organization's longevity research.
On their website, they share: "We believe that increasing awareness of death can help us to make the most of our lives. The right kind of reminders can help us to focus on what matters, and perhaps make us better people."
I hope this will inspire you to pick up the phone and call your family today. Don't wait to schedule that trip. Tell them you love them. Get to know them better. Make time.
2. 💬 Question of the Week (in 7 languages)
English:
What is your favorite memory of your parents?
Simplified Chinese:
你最喜欢关于你父母的记忆是什么？
Nǐ zuì xǐhuan guānyú nǐ fùmǔ de jìyì shì shénme?
Traditional Chinese:
你最喜歡關於你父母的記憶是什麼？
Nǐ zuì xǐhuan guānyú nǐ fùmǔ de jìyì shì shénme?
Vietnamese:
Kỷ niệm yêu thích của ____ về ____* là gì?
* Sử dụng cách xưng hô thích hợp. Ví dụ ba mẹ của ba mẹ là ông bà, hoặc ba mẹ của ông bà là ông bà cố.
Spanish:
¿Cuál es su recuerdo favorito de sus padres? (Formal)
¿Cuál es tu recuerdo favorito de tus padres?(Informal)
Korean:
부모님에 대한 제일 좋은 기억은 뭐예요?
bumonime daehan jeil joeun gieogeun mwoyeyo?
Filipino/Tagalog:
Ano po ang paboritong alaala ninyo tungkol sa inyong mga magulang?
With love,
Joseph
