Help me give back to my parents

My mom, Joan, and dad, Mark, are two of the most beautiful people you're sure to ever meet. Having both served in the Navy, when I was born, they retired so they could give me a solid and stable childhood. And they did just that, I'll forever be grateful of that very first sacrifice they made for me. Though we were never swimming in money, they made sure I never wanted for anything. As an adult, it breaks my heart that, even having a full time career, I'm unable to give back to them in anything near as meaningful of a way as they've done for me time and time and time again.

My mom began working with folks with disabilities very soon after retiring from the Navy. She managed group living settings, volunteered with community organizations that hosted events for the disabled community and was active in local Special Olympics. She had the opportunity to retire a few years back, and was very excited about it. But even in retirement, she decided to take up work as a substitute teacher working on Special Needs classrooms. That's on top of her volunteering with the local food shelf multiple days a week. This woman gives 110% of herself every day.

My dad raised me to be compassionate, and humble. He is very stoic, but has a soft nature to him that just shines. When he sits on the deck, all the birds and squirrels and chipmunks play around him. About 8 years ago, he suffered a traumatic event that left him with a very foggy memory. In the last few years especially, the memory loss has progressed fairly quickly. Though he is still the wonderful, sharp-witted man I have always and will forever look up to, he struggles with day-to-day tasks. This has had a profound impact on his mental health.

Due to my dad's health and mom needing to start working again, they have taken on so much stress that I'm scared for their health. They served our country, worked so hard to provide for me and my siblings, gave themselves selflessly to anyone and everyone who needed it. They don't deserve the struggle they face every day. I want them to know that people see the effort, and appreciate them as much as I do. Whether that means me giving them the gift of being able to take a weekend trip to the North Shore to get away from the stress for awhile, or giving them the ability to pay off some medical debt and be comfortable for a few months. I know everyone is struggling at the moment, I don't take that lightly. But even a little will go a long ways. There truly is no one more deserving than these two.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.