Memoir After Mom and Dad's deaths, only 16 days apart, I decided to write their story as to how they both became so ill as to pass away so close together. Dad was 80, and Mom was 69. Because of their eleven years age difference, we never expected them to go so close together. Mom had diabetes, heart and kidney problems. Dad developed cancer on the outside of one lung. I begin my story with the day I learned Dad probably was more ill than "just a cold" as I had thought. Mom had been in ill health for many years due to her diabetes. My siblings and I had an agreement that my brother and I would take care of things on this end, and my 2 sisters would take care of things on their end. They lived close to the hospital where Mom and Dad were taken when they needed hospitalization. This worked out well for all of us. Later on, when they were both in the nursing home, in the same room, we played what I called the "protection game". We couldn't bring ourselves to let them know Dad was dying. We probably appeared as if we didn't care, but we cared so much that one night when we were called in the middle of the night to hear Dad was not good, we all decided not to go as it wasn't as if he was alone. If we were to show up in the middle of the night, they were sure to know one of them was dying. We each showed up the next morning at different times. Dad was better and they were puzzled as to why we all showed up when we had just been there not long before. None of us siblings were prepared for the few days we were given between their deaths. I tell my feelings throughout their illnesses, and have updates of happenings for some time after.