Scared for my Grandparents :(

I don’t know how to help my grandparents.  They had to get a second mortgage on their house a few years ago after my grandpa retired.  And their social security just isn’t enough it seems like.  They’re so sweet and they still send me $10 for my birthday every year.  And they get me (and my cousins) all christmas presents.  But I sorta feel bad.

I mean, my mom says it’s ok and that it makes them happy to be able to send me money for my birthday and to be able to get the family christmas presents.  But then when I go to visit them, we eat really plain, basic food and I feel so guilty.  And they pretty much never go anywhere.  I mean they’re not that old or anything.  Like 67 and 69 I think?  Which I guess it sorta old.  My my friend Marie’s grandparents seem a lot older.  My grandma is really healthy and it seems like she wants to go out and do stuff.  She has a garden at home and plants flowers every spring.  But I can’t help but feel like she’s bored.

They’ve been in that house forever.  My whole life at least.  And I know when my mom was a kid, she grew up there.  I think my mom said something once about them having an apartment or something when they first got married.  But ever since then, they’ve been in their house.  I wonder if anyone lived in that house before thm of if they were the first people… like if it was new when they bought it or not.  I’m not sure.

Anyhow, I’ve decided to help my grandparents out if I can.  I’ve started looking at mortgage stuff online and learning about like life insurance and 401ks and stuff like that.  I found this great site about reverse mortgages that has great information about the pros and cons of reverse mortgages.  I’m going to talk to my mom and try to figure out if that could maybe help my grandma and grandpa.  If anyone out there in blog-land has any other ideas, please please let me know.