Leaving... Piece by Piece

The Old Scot has had a stroke. He's been losing little bits and pieces of life for several years. A heart attack, bi-pass surgery, diabetes, loss of a toe from diabetes, another bi-pass... breaking down like an old car. My natural mother left the earth in much the same way. One part at a time, each new illness snatching away more of her quality of life until she was left with nothing but her mind, and no way to exercise it.

There are better ways to write the last chapter of a life. I love to hear "she passed away peacefully in her sleep". That's a good way. Dignity is such an important commodity to everyone, how awful to have it stripped away after you've spent so many years to earn it. But that is the luck of the draw. I've often wondered what I would do if diagnosed with some life threatening disease or illness. We'd all like to think we'd be brave and stoic. I suspect at the first diagnoses I'll have a melt down and people will spend the next few months trying to stop me from throwing myself in front of bus. I've been brave and stoic most of my life, I'm due a little bit of drama queen behavior.

My assistant goes on vacation next week which means I must actually make it to the office every day, all day. That could definately be problematic. In the good news department... Princess has been invited to the Marine Ball in November. She's positively aflutter with plotting and planning.