Mother turned eighty-five recently. She has always been physically strong, but as her mind fails, so is her body failing. She rarely seems to notice the changes. Sometimes when she walks, she will say, "I'm dragging my foot." She notices that the small stroke took her sure stride, but she just smiles. Her teeth are beginning to break, and she is getting cavities, but she just smiles and howls louder when we brush and floss. She ability to speak is diminishing. The stroke didn't affect her formation of words, but she just can't find the words. She stares or speaks in a whisper or simple mouths the words. Sometimes she just blinks, and I must figure out if that means yes or no. Her left hand curled tightly to her body doesn't seem to exist for her. She rarely moves the arm at all any more.
In bits and pieces she is leaving us. I wonder when what is gone will be so great that we will not recognize what is left. Where is that tipping point? Or will there always be enough bits and pieces to recognize?