Somewhere in a hospital room

(Aunt Gert and Grandma at Beth's wedding last weekend)

I don't like the term "heart failure".

Heart: a hollow pump-like organ of blood circulation, the center of the total personality, the center of emotion, the capacity for sympathy, spirit, courage, enthusiasm, a vital or essential part, core

Failure: lack of success, nonperformance, an insufficiency, deterioration

A very small fraction of these definitions can be used to describe my grandmother: a hollow pump-like organ of blood circulation, nonperformance

There is so much more to 'heart' than the organ. She loves... so deeply. While her mind deteriorates and robs her of her memories - she still loves. She may not remember that grandpa was moved into a nursing home, but she asks for him every day and usually every 5 minutes. She loves him and she misses him. She knows sympathy and compassion, sparked by the early loss of her kids and also a daughter-in-law. She has courage. She faced breast cancer twice and never stopped fighting. With their chocolate frosting and sprinkles, her Christmas cookies are a vital part of the holiday celebration. Most importantly - she is the core in our family.

So you can say her body is failing and breaking down, but don't for a second say it's heart failure. Because she has more heart than anyone, and in all her years - it has yet to fail.