parenting a parent

Do you remember the first time you saw your parents cry? I do. I was probably 6 or 7 at the time and I remember walking into my parents’ bedroom, only to find my mom tearing up about something. At the time, I didn’t know what she was crying about. And when asked today, she doesn’t really recall either, as she’s a quick to cry kind of person over something as small as an ASPCA commercial (a trait I get from her). But I do remember how it made me feel. For the first time, I realized my parents weren’t these mega superheroes I had built them up to be. Superhuman? Yes. But perfect, indestructible beings? No. I suppose for a 6 year old,...