I truly love to find new information for my parents and mother-in-law about a drug or condition that gets them thinking about their own health, gives them food for thought the next time they visit with their doctors and sometimes even gets them to make lifestyle changes for the better. None of them are terribly computer savvy, so if I didn't do some research, I'm not sure anyone would. I know it's not the most involved of roles, but it's really satisfying. 
I'd love to hear about some things you do for your loved ones that make you (and them!) feel good.
I think my favorite part is the rare part - the reflection.
It's the moments when food or a song or something triggers a memory for my parent or grandparent.
I am usually so immersed in the now. There's a lot to do to take care of someone and your family and your job and maybe even a pet.
I love those moments when I take the time to ask or it just spills out and I get to connect to the girl or the wife or the father that my parent or grandparent was, like when my grandmother tells me her nickname (corn silk) when she was a girl growing up on a Native American reservation.
My dad was not a good father to his kids. He chose to spend all of his time with his drinking buddies. We never had a relationship. When he DID manage to say a few words to me, they were usually hateful or critical. I always thought I'd take care of my mother when she got old, and my sister would take care of my dad. It didn't work out that way, and for that I am so grateful.
I am making up for lost time by spending time with him. My father was in WWII and awarded 2 Purple Hearts and several other medals. I now believe that maybe he saw some things in the war that made him the way he was when I was growing up. He's not hateful anymore and he actually enjoys being with me, and I enjoy being with him.
This is, without a doubt, the hardest thing I've ever done, but also the most rewarding.
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