I got an email early this morning from my mom's friend in Florida. (She uses me to email my mom 'cause my mom doesn't do computers.) She said her husband died early morning. I've known these folks since I was a kid. The husband had gone blind from arteritis last year. I wondered how to tell my mom this news. I finally decided just to say "Bertdied." no build up. That worked. She was sad but not crushed. She'd said all along how awful she thought it was to go blind. She chatted a while, finished her cigarette and went back to take a nap. She turns 91 this month.