Dear LPG readers,

How many of us older folk can honestly say that our children and grandchildren visit and lavish love and care on them.  Remember you can lie to others but you can’t lie to yourself because your heart knows the truth.

I think we men are inclined to ‘tell it like it is’.  If we have useless children, we are inclined to confide the facts to close friends, but women (their mothers) are reluctant to tell the truth about their children for whatever the reason.     I can imagine the many parents and grandparents who seldom see their offspring for whatever reason, but to have close family members living in the same country, same city and even the same borough while not having them visit you must be up there amongst the hardest aspects of family life to have to accept. 

I am very critical of the relatively young and even younger generation.  They are so different to generations born earlier and particularly those from outside the UK. 

I believe I have the authority to talk on this subject because I am experiencing all the above mentioned effects of parenthood and as a man, I feel able to speak the truth without favour, although with true fervour.  I will express my respect to all parents and grandparents that can smile in their hearts while knowing that their younger family members are close and loving; where the old folks don’t get ignored.

Rudy Morgan