Takes a Lickin’...

“Put down that paper and talk to me.”

Those were Alice’s words today to my mother, who had been sitting by Alice's hospital bed, reading the paper.

My mother thought she was still asleep. Instead she heard the command and looked up to see Alice giving her The Stare. Apparently she has not only improved rather rapidly from a rather severe stroke and is able to eat that bizarre looking pabulum food-type-awful-stuff, but she is well enough to issue orders to my mother – I think she is the only person on the planet who can effectively get away with that.

Needless to say, we are all relieved...and astounded. Yesterday she was still not speaking, and her eyes were completely vacant. Pretty devastating to us all and we were each fighting the pull threatening to take us on the trip down Grim and Gloomy Lane. She moved a hand and moved her mouth like she was trying to speak at one point, but it did not look good.

The medical staff are quite a-buzz about it. Her ability to bounce back from things is certainly still there. Her short-term memory is not good, but for her to go from comatose on Tuesday to being able to demand my mother's attention on Thursday is pretty impressive. Hell it would be impressive on a normally aged person, but at 104, that’s...well, it’s inspiring.

I’m not going to question it. I’m just grateful. To those of you who e mailed or sent your lovely thoughts, thank you.