My folks are the same age as most of you guys
but the last year has really made them, and me start to plan for the future and their retirement. Mom will be 51 this month, dad will follow in October. Last year mom was scheduled to have her second knee surgery, another torn meniscus, and dad was told he needs two total replacements. All of that got put on hold when mom was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer in August. She just finished chemo now, and will have surgery at the end of the month, followed by 6 weeks of radiation. They have fought through it like champs, and rounded out their best year ever at the sign company that the own, with only one employee. It's been a rough year and I had to travel back to help with several big jobs and to help get some new help rounded up. This just put them into high gear of thinking about slowing down. Finding something to do that is less manual labor intensive, and getting closer to me. Hard to be of much help from 800 miles away.
I have to say though, mom has been a champ through all of this and has given cancer the big middle finger!
Start planning early guys, you never know when the big health issues could be you, and not your parents!