To age gracefully?

My dad fell sick a few days ago. He ate something and it triggered everything off his body; sore throat, cough, flu, fever, and he didn't get any better. Maybe a little bit but if the same thing happened like a few years ago he will be fine the next day.

My dad is a tough and hard man, he doesn't believe in medications unless he really needs it, or he gets very desperate, like today. His cough disturbed his work a lot and he called home and asked my mom to get him anything that could probably kill his cough. Well, we all know it doesn't work instantly it takes at least a few doses to see its effects. Plus, antibodies take a few days to recognise the foreign body before it can flares up to fight against it. Anyway, my dad was in great desperation and he is one of the very few dads that deny doctors as well. We were calling him to see a doctor and, well, he refused. He promised to go the next day if he doesn't get better tomorrow. Trust me, he will use the same excuse tomorrow if his condition stayed the same. You see, he is not only a tough man, but a very proud man too.

He worked so hard his whole life. He started a family very young so his 'engine' desperately needed rest and his body is alarming him already. It seems that he couldn't accept it.  He kept repeating the same thing: If it was 10 years ago, things like this will not even bother me; if it was 10 years ago, i don't even need that much rest; if it was 10 years ago, if it was 10 years ago, if it was 10 years ago. And he can go on again and again. He is at his denial stage. One day, he will realise that he is old now and the body is slowing down and needed medications when he falls sick so everything should slow down and REST. Seeing him like this aches me. He couldn't stop he was so used to his hectic lifestyle to support the family. He also once told me that he will die faster if he stops working. That means, he has to keep himself going until one day he can finally admits to himself that his body couldn't do it anymore. Not liking to take rest, to see the doctor even for simple medical checkups, go travel, worry about his business even when he was sick... It is painful to see. He can't even sleep now because of his cough.

I have always told my mom that she doesn't have to be afraid when she gets old because i will be there to keep her always beautiful even when she falls sick. I will do all i can to help her age gracefully. What concerns her the most is she may be a burden to anybody when she falls sick. Old persons fall sick a lot and she doesn't want to end up in the hospital bed with all the tubes in her body. She even asked me to unplug her when it is the time to let go. The same goes to my dad. You know, my parents are very much in love until today and my dad has been very protective of my mom the whole time. Their conversation involves afterlife; like where and when will them be seeing each other again, how many children they want to have, what kind of house they want, what kind of environment they want to live in, and they still wanted to be married to each other when they meet again. I'm so worry that when either one of them is gone, the other half won't be long. It frightens me...

When i type the sentence 'to age gracefully', i don't know how...

And i want to tell my parents the same: I wanted to be your child when we meet again.