My kids are growing up, and it's making me realize my parents are getting older, too

The author has started thinking more about his parents' aging as his kids grow up.Maskot/Getty Images/MaskotMy kids are getting older, and time is going by more quickly. I didn't realize parenting would make me think so much about my own parents.

As my kids grow up, I've been thinking more about my own parents aging.I didn't expect my kids getting older to make me think so much about my parents.When my kids were little, my wife and I were consumed by the immediate demands of parenting.

There were diapers to change, lunches to pack, and sleepless nights to survive. The vast majority of my attention was focused forward on helping my kids grow up.But now my daughter and son are on the cusp of turning 12 and 10, respectively, and they've become more independent and are beginning to develop lives of their own.

As a result, I've found myself paying more attention to the other end of my family spectrum. While my kids are growing older, so are my parents. And living hundreds of miles away has made that reality feel impossible to ignore.

I notice changes I never used to noticeMy wife and I moved from Calgary to Nelson, British Columbia, in 2017. The decision was a big one, and while it gave our family a lifestyle we love, it also put seven hours of highway between us and our parents.Because we don't see them every week or even every month, our time together has become more precious.

When I was younger, aging seemed gradual, something everyone experienced, but far off in the distance. But now, since we only see my parents a few times a year, the changes they are going through have become more noticeable.They are still healthy and active, but I find myself paying attention to their aging in a way I never did before.

They have a little more gray hair. They walk a little slower up the stairs. Each visit reminds me that time is moving forward, whether I'm ready for it or not.

Watching my kids grow makes time feel more tangibleParenting constantly reminds you how quickly life changes.