First we are children to our parents, then parents to our children, then parents to our parents, then children to our children.

The line compresses a whole family life cycle into a single, looping sentence. It begins with the obvious dependency of childhood, then moves to adulthood when one becomes responsible for the next generation. The striking turn—“parents to our parents”—names the reversal that comes with aging and caregiving, when adult children must guide, protect, and sometimes make decisions for their own parents. The final clause—“children to our children”—suggests a humbling return to vulnerability in old age, when one may again rely on those once cared for. Overall, it frames family roles as fluid rather than fixed, emphasizing reciprocity, duty, and the inevitability of generational change.