I am in Florida. I came to be here for my mom’s 94th birthday tomorrow. She is doing amazingly well for a woman who suffered a massive stroke last October. She is partially paralyzed, but by far the worst effect is that she has global aphasia, and cannot speak, read or write. She was an English teacher and a voracious reader. Her life now is mostly watching TV, or sitting with her memories. She seems content and still laughs. She smiles a lot understanding what we say but unable to respond. There is so much of her core being still visible to those of us who love her and know her. The way she sits so graciously, takes pride still in her appearance, hugs laughs and smiles with us.  Only very infrequently does a look of frustration pass over her face momentarily. We see her independent spirit as she moves through her day. I am, we are, my sisters and her grandchildren, so unbelievably blessed to have her in our lives. 
I say no prayers that she will continue to live a long while. I assume that the matter of how long she will be with us is in good hands. I do say a prayer of gratitude constantly, unendingly, for having her for my mother, for every moment I am still blessed to spend with her. Love has always flowed from her like a river, she has always adjusted to some of the hardest life situations with such grace. She is at this moment, for me, the epitome of learning to live like water.