April 2nd

This is a difficult blog to write tonight. I spent most of the day in the emergency department with a very dear, dear friend. She is 87 years young and an amazing woman. She has taken very good care of her health all of her life and lives independently in her own home after losing her husband 6 years ago. She has always been very physically active (she was still figure skating and dancing at the age of 81 until she fell on the ice and broke her hip). She still does 1 1/2 hours of exercise each morning and can do exercises that I currently can't do. She is very, very conscious of the food she eats and takes suppliments regularly.

However, she had a health scare today. The good news is, this time it was only a scare. She is back at home tonight in her own bed. Yes, there will be more tests and there will be homecare for her...but it saddened her to realize she may not be as independent as she used to be. She has a very kind, warm heart and is constantly excited about learning new things. However, with the recent deterioration in her hearing, eye sight and circulation, she is forced to slow down.

This really brought home to me the importance of health. She has so many memories of adventures, journeys, and experiences. It was rather humerous when we talked with the doctor and had to answer questions about her health...no high blood pressure, no diabetes, no stroke, no heart problems, no medications. The only previous problem was varicous veins...at the age of 87!

I was very honoured to be there for her today and hold her hand and talk about pleasant memories with her. She inspires me.

She has agreed to share some of her exercises with me and I am paying attention to what she eats and when. There is so much wisdom in her and in her generation. I hope we are given the time to share so much more.