I look at a photograph and remember
As time passes, nothing is repeated
Yet all is recorded
Held sacred and cherished by the heart
Or high and free by the wind
The wings of time beat soft and muffled around me
And everyone I've ever loved is with me now

My mom was in the hospital for about a month before she died from conjestive heart failure. She would have had to go to a nursing home after living independently all her years. She couldn't take that, and more than once joked about finding Dr Kevorkian. After she had stabilized and was about to be released, she died in her sleep. I'm not 100% sure someone didn't help her do that.

The will to live is a powerful force. Too often, others try to give it to people they love. You can't do that, and if you try, you'll end up feeling guilty because you think you should have done more.

Only now, with time, am I remembering what my mother was like before she became trapped in that transluscent shell. And thank you Penny, because now I'm remembering pussy willows, and Christmases, and joy.