[QUOTE=Edwina's Secretary]I If your parents are still living and age 65 or older...how do they pay for healthcare expenses?
QUOTE]

My mother is 79 (as of last Friday) and is retired and pays for her insurance. She complains, but, knows that she needs it. She also knows she gets much better care and in a more timely manner than socialized medicine. She does get Social Security, but, she worked all of her life too and paid into Social Security. She also has her retirement and her 403B...she planned for her retirement. And as you can tell by her age, she is a Depression baby and has learned how to scrimp and save and do without (although she doesn't really need to now) and work for her money. She is also a registered Democrat and gives to the church and volunteers at the soup kitchen. She knows there are others out there that need help and she makes sure she gives what she can. Oh, and my mother raised me to have the same values....the benefits of being raised by older parents.

I lost my dad July 12, 2006 4 days shy of his 88th birthday. He graduated from high school during the height of the Depression and spent the last 2 years of his high school career living with his aunt because of abuse in the home. She had 8 kids of her own and took in my father and another kid off the street. There were many nights where all they would have for dinner was mashed potatos with rutabaga. She lost her job and had to go on relief. She kept track of every dime that they gave her and when she got another job, she took money BACK to the relief office and paid them back every cent that they had given her. Oh, and she was a true blue Dem (she thought Kennedy walked on water! lol). My father decided to better himself and went to Ball State. He lived in Gary. He worked all week at a restaurant in Muncie and at week's end, he hitch hiked back to Gary to work the weekend at a Greek restaurant and would hitch hike back on Sunday night and start over again. Then WWII. He joined the Army Air Corps and trained pilots and then went to England and flew 36 missions in a B-17. He came back after the war and finished his degree. He never asked for a cent. And he was so much a Democrat that he just pulled straight ticket when he voted (we had a lot of arguments on that one )

So, a long response to your statement...My parents both paid their way in the world and helped out those around them as much as they could. As for the good old days...everyone helped everyone else during the Depression because so few had anything. My mother's mother used to feed the "bums" that rode the rails whenever they came begging at the back door.

Ok, I'm off my soap box...rant...whatever you want to call it!

Have a great day all of you!!