I sat with her today for a very long time.  We had to take a scary ride together.  Scary for her.  No less difficult for me.   I had to tell her what was going on in her life, her life that she is slowly losing control of.  I had to explain it to her again.  Again.  And many more times yet.  She told me stories about her life.  Stories I knew.  But each time she told me I listened, intently, to hear about the child she was.  The young bride she became.  The faith she relied on.  And when she told me this again, and yet again, I smiled and encouraged her to tell me more.

I had to leave her to get and share some information with medical staff.

I came back to her and sat on the stool by her bed.   I smiled at her and…