Bob W. Yoga Editor

In November of 2008, my 96 year old grandmother was coming home from her friends' 80th birthday party, at 3:30 in the afternoon. She was still driving – in fact, at age 89 she bought a brand new Toyota Corolla, thinking she would have it for the rest of her life. That afternoon, as she was stopped at a stop-light, she was horrified to see a very large transport truck that had taken the turn too wide – coming towards her. There was nothing she could do but watch. When it was over, the 23 year old driver and his girlfriend emerged from the transport, unharmed, and when the police arrived they said my grandmother would've been killed instantly, had her car been only 8 inches closer to the stop-light. The transport ended up colliding into the hood of her car.

She was lucky. She survived the crash that took out three cars including hers, suffering a mild concussion, a couple of cracked ribs and a chest wall injury from the seatbelt. And she spent the next two years learning how to get along without the independence she so cherished. She didn't want to buy a new car – even though the insurance company told her that was an option – because "every time I see a transport truck coming towards me – even when I'm in the passenger seat – I close my eyes, and I suppose that wouldn't do if I were driving!"

By last Spring, though, she was losing her will to live. We took turns, as a family, traveling to stay with her at her home, making sure she had good nutrition and was getting out. She knew, though, that this was unsustainable and that it was time to leave the place she'd called home for 45 years. We were lucky – there was a brand new place, a retirement residence, opening in the city where I live, that I could picture her living in. And as soon as she saw it, she could picture it too.

Providence moved –as she did as well. And here we are, nearly a year later, and Nana's doing better than ever. She's the oldest person in the building – she'll be 99 in November – and in better shape than many residents. She's just started using a 'walker' – realizing it's like having a portable seat and a trunk to carry things in all at once. She's still got all her teeth, all her marbles, and takes no regular medications.

In the retirement residence she, once again, enjoys being social – without having to leave the building. She has the option to go on day trips, and she eats her meals in a beautiful dining room, with the company of new friends. And I'm getting an education about things I never imagined I'd be learning! All is well!

Namas te!