Janie, a slow death is not what any of us would wish for. Getting through the end of life with grace is what we hope for, but it's difficult.
I never met the woman who lived two doors up from me and across the street. But apparently the year I moved in here, when I made inroads on the ugly hedge out front and put in a few slim wands that are now trees, she really enjoyed my State Fair zinnias. I planted them in a couple of spots in the yard and they got huge, some of them five or six feet tall, covered with brilliant mixed colors. She would sit in the garage that was on the side of her house and look down the street strait at my house. I was at the estate sale after her husband died, shortly after she died. The daughter was pleased to learn where I lived, and told me about how her mother admired those zinnias.
Never take for granted those flowers that bring you pleasure. They may bring true joy to others who really need it.