word of the day

My mother handed me a list of words, written on flowery paper in her shaky, weak handwriting:

• Chapultepec
• bituminous coal
• ozone
• Weimerauner (on the list twice), and related (in her mind), Lippizaner
• metatarsal
• sanctions 

She said she has started to wake up with a word on her mind. She has been writing it down, and asked me to research and print a bit about each.  We talked about the meanings briefly, but she would like a bit of research.

I'm heartened by this interesting request. It shows curiosity and interest in learning.

On the same visit as this request, though, she said she doesn't think 'it' will be much longer (before death). She is happy about that, or at least, content. But then in the next breath she said she hasn't needed the oxygen so much so maybe she's doing OK.  Though it can be disturbing to talk with her with such ease about her impending death, it must be a relief for her to be able to talk about it comfortably.  I allow her to dwell on it as much as she seems to want to talk about it, then we move on.