In this poignant triptych of essays, three Hispanic women talk about what it’s like to deal with various issues facing their aging parents.

Mary Lou Fulton: Making a New Ending

Her father’s death earlier this year prompted Mary Lou Fulton—who wrote for the Summer 2009 AARP Segunda Juventud on her mother’s gambling addiction—to reflect on what matters most in life. She ended up quitting her job to take some time to be with her mom and her younger brother, a 42-year-old with the mind of a ten-year-old.

Liz Balmaseda: My Father’s Getting Married… and I’m an Empty Nester

A trail of fancy cologne follows Liz Balmaseda’s dad out of their home as he heads to his fiancée’s for a dinner date. He’s 80 years old. And he’s getting remarried in October. Our 50-year-old writer—who has no children—finds out what it feels like to be an empty nester.