My dad passed away just over a week ago. Until a couple years ago he was strong and healthy (or so he thought). Late 70s was young in our family- most of the older generation made it into their 90s, and some into the 100s.
He was quite a man. He made an impact in his lifetime, influenced a lot of people. He was principled and ethical, honest to a fault. I respected and admired him, but we didn't have a good relationship. He could be very difficult and frustrating, to put it mildly. We had been reconciling slowly in the last few years, difficult because we're halfway across the country from each other, and he was hard to talk to. COVID hampered my plans to get out to see him before he passed, and I regret that. We had a great phone conversation a couple days before; I'm thankful for that.
I always thought I had more time to make things right. If anyone else has similar issues- go see your folks. Tell them you love them. Life is short.