# Getting Old Is Truly Pitiful

Getting old is truly pitiful. When you have many children and they're unfilial, it's even more pitiful. My grandmother is almost 90, and she has 5 children—2 sons and 3 daughters. Now that she's sick, only my mom and my second aunt are taking care of her.

Today when I picked up my grandmother, she got car sick. I had prepared bags in advance, but she still threw up in the car. I was so careful, worried my mom would scold her. My mom quietly wiped it clean with tissues, and I also said it was fine.

Her own two sons are always calculating who should support the elderly parent. Their daughters-in-law are like tigresses—the daughters-in-law act mature while the parents act like children in front of them. The sons-in-laws are also impressive, all saying "the sons aren't helping, so why are the daughters worried?"

The problem is the two sons can't be relied on. If the daughters don't help either, if the elderly parent dies at home, no one would even know. When my grandmother visits my oldest aunt's house, my oldest uncle yells at my grandmother like she's a little child.

So during holidays and New Year visits, I call all these elders to pay respects. As for my oldest uncle's side, I haven't made a single call in years. I see it clearly now:
If children are unfilial, having many is useless! When parents grow old, they become like wandering baggage to them. Family ties are just a name—if people's character is poor, you still have to cut ties. There's no point in maintaining contact either.