Late is better than never to grow close to parents

An article in a recent New York Times talks about a mother/daughter working to reach out to each other after a lifetime of disappointments and important events missed due to the mother's spending too much time/focus at work.

The important point is that while you can never get those moments back, you should not delay in having a close relationship with your elder parents (or from the perspective of the parents from your grown kids). As said in the NYT article, "I didn’t want to die feeling I didn’t have a good relationship with my children."

Putting things right late in life is better than not doing it at all. Midlife relationships can be tough because there is so much baggage, but it is almost certainly worth the effort. If you are the parent, showing that you care (even if late in life) is important. If you are the younger one, showing that you understand that they were doing what they felt was right at the time is a critical step.

h/t: WSJ/Juggle