A golden opportunity tarnished

My parents saw quite a bit of the country (and world) when they were young, long before they married. Because they were older when they finally tied the knot, and I came along a few years later, they were quite content to settle down in suburbia. The wanderlust from their youth had vanished.

Carlsbad Caverns: Photo credit: NPS Photo by Peter Jones

But once they retired, and moved to their final home in New Mexico, they hoped to travel a bit. They were never going to be the jet-set type, but they wanted to at least travel to nearby attractions. They visited the Carlsbad Caverns and received a Golden Age Passport (now called Senior Pass.). This would have allowed them to visit other national parks around the country at heavily discounted rates.

Mom hoped to be able to use the pass for future trips. But dementia reared its ugly head and vacations became a distant dream. Those “golden years” where couples who have worked hard all of their lives are supposed to be able to enjoy carefree days were tarnished forever.