There is no one like my mother!

I have the most amazing mother! She is nearly 82 years old and still takes care of her yard. She mows the lawn, weeds her garden -- with a shovel, moves furniture in her house so often that I never know where anything is located! She's a wonder! But just in the last week or two, she has had to slow down. She hurt her back (is it a surprise to anyone?) or her leg and now she's in pain. She walks holding onto my arm. That is so strange. She is the most independent person I've ever known but she now needs to hold my arm, especially when stepping off a curb. It makes me so sad; she hates, hates, hates having other people do things for her. Today I pruned all her hydrangeas. She has seven of them, or eight... not sure. I'm sure I saw her holding her breath, and her tongue, while I whacked away at her shrubbery. My brother happened to come over at just the right moment and I roped him into digging up things she wanted out. She is going to put more of her garden into lawn. She just can't handle all the weeding, bending, and hauling anymore. She promised her doctor (seven years ago) that she would stay off the ladders. I'm not sure she does but since I pruned the taller shrubs as well, she won't have to get on a ladder for that! It makes me feel good to help her but there is a deep sadness as I face the reality of her age and future lifespan. I keep telling her she has to live to 100 and she keeps saying she doesn't want to; I hope I win. Losing my dad eight years ago was really hard. I held him in my arms for 25 minutes as he died from a heart attack. Losing my mother? Unthinkable! I am counting on at least 18 more years!