Originally posted by: MovingTarget
First of all, they owe the parents the gift of seeing them put to good use everything they've been given, i.e. an attempt to succeed in life to the best of their ability. Second would be increasing health-related help for things they cannot do as they age: like some occasional manual labor on the weekend for things around the house that they cannot do themselves. Third would be a call or visit every now and then. This does wonders for a parent that cares....but then again some don't.
:thumbsup:
Although my parents are both working and take care of almost everything themselves, I still help out where I can - computer related questions, etc. When I still lived at home, I helped out with yard work, dishes, vacuuming etc, although much of the time my parents insisted they would do it themselves. I sometimes wish they were more accommodating of my offers to help.
To address your third point, I think calls and visits are important. I talk with my folks a couple times a week and I usually visit a couple times a month. I continue to try to spend time with them - in recent years we still took family trips to the cabin, and later this year I'm going to Vegas with my Dad, cousin and uncle.
Seriously, unless your parents are abusive screw-ups, you should nurture and invest in your relationship with them. It will enrich your life so much and you won't have regrets when they die years from now.