Today would be my mom's 100th birthday. She used to say that she didn't want to live to 100. In fact, after she turned 90, things started to go awry with her health - and she said maybe she should have stopped at 90!
She lived a good long life. She was happy. She was able to live in her own home. Her children visited. So did her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She did a little traveling. She took a long-dreamed of trip across the Canadian Rockies.
But it got harder. And her health did take a turn - the Big C reared it's ugly head. She said she didn't want treatment. And so she was home - and asking Donna, "When will I get better?" And Donna said, "You aren't going to get better, Mother. Remember we said we didn't want treatment."
And from that point on, she ate less and less. She seemed to be shutting down. It did not go on long. She was kept comfortable. 6 of her 12 children were with her when she died. She was able to die at home, in her room, although we'd gotten a hospital bed.
And so today we celebrate the good, long life of Mary Clayton. And we are so grateful we got to be her children! And we are grateful too that she lived past 90!
