Entrepreneur calculated how much time we have left with our parents and the math will stop you cold

Parents are precious, but the brutal reality is that they don't live forever. As we grow old, some leave our parents' home for higher education, career opportunities, or in the hope of a brighter future. However, in the midst of building our own lives, we somehow forget a simple reality — our time with them is limited. In fact, Jesse Itzler (@jesseitzler), co-founder of Marquis Jet and author, went so far as to calculate how long we actually have with our parents before they die. In a conversation with Rich Roll, he explained that accepting the very fact makes us value time with them even more.

Itzler asked Roll about his parents and discovered they are both in their 70s and living in Washington, DC. The entrepreneur then asked how often he meets his parents, and Roll said twice a year. Then came the heartbreaking realization. Assuming his parents live until 80, Roll seems to have at least 5 to 6 years with them. But in reality, he has only 10-12 visits with his parents because that's the only number of times he can see them before they are gone. The thought is, of course, terrifying, but it makes you consciously spend time with them. "When you start thinking of things like that, your first reaction is, 'I want to see my parents,'" Itzler explained. We, as humans, often envision our lives a certain way, but things don't necessarily work out that way. In fact, assuming we have plenty of time, we keep pushing our plans for tomorrow — that's not guaranteed. You can watch Itzler's interview below. 

A survey of 9,474 adult kids further highlighted how little time we actually have with our parents. The study observed that only 27% of respondents reported meeting their parents several times a week. Additionally, researchers found that nearly 15% visited their parents about once a week, while 17% met their parents 1 to 3 times a month. Surprisingly, nearly 8% of the respondents reported not being able to meet their parents at all in the last 12 months. In another sample of almost 3,500 families in the same study, more than 14% had at least one noncoresident adult child whom the parent respondent had not visited in 12 months before the survey.

Meanwhile, reacting to the harsh reality, @kerstynpock wrote, "Having lost both my parents before I was 42, all I can say is, go see your parents. Call them. Answer when they call. Because when you can’t, there’s no getting any of that time back. And you’d do anything for one more call/visit." Similarly, @bonniebvail said, "We think life will play out as we envision it in our minds, but that’s not always the case. Shitty things happen. People die suddenly. Life changes instantly, and there is no going back for more time. Don’t put spending time with those you love off. Tomorrow may not come. Make each day count. Love big. Love another."

You can follow Jesse Itzler (@jesseitzler) on Instagram for more such wholesome content. 

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