Spent yesterday with my Mom and stepdad, Sam. We wandered through a flea market and had some lunch. The day was filled with laughter.

I worry about how much longer the fun will last. Mom had a brush with breast cancer last month, and although the lumpectomy was successful, and she has a minute chance of recurrance, she is still 81. Sam, at nearly 91, is starting to look more frail. Both of them remain mentally alert and self-sufficient, but occasionally they repeat things or lose their train of thought. They have been blessed with excellent health up to now, but who knows what lies ahead.

My brother, at 42, cannot even take care of himself, let alone anyone else, so the responsibilities will fall to me as usual. Sam's daughter is in her late 60s and has health issues so all of the signs are pointing my way. For me it will be a labor of love, but I am afraid that soon there will be some hard decisions to make. I worry about Sam driving, and wonder if Mom is even up to the task. How do you ask someone to give up their self-sufficiency and become dependent on others?

Selfishly, I wonder about the financial impact on my family. We live paycheck to paycheck now, and my dream of becoming debt-free is just a dream. There is talk about closing my husband's plant. What would we do then? We will face that dilemma if it happens.

For now, it is one day at a time, one step at a time, cautiously peeking around the corner at what may lie ahead.