What does Obama say?

The mum-in-law has been in and out of the hospital much lately, and we visit every day, hoping for the best but often fearing the worst. We know that one day she will not bounce back.

Tuesday, I called before I went in, to see if she needed anything. She answered her phone, sounding like she´d had a stroke, saying they were going to discharge her the next day. I had a minor panic attack, called the husband at work, he called the doctor, who assured him that they wouldn´t let her go unless she was feeling better. When I arrived, an hour later, she was sitting in an armchair with a walker in front of her, looking grand. Apparently, my call had woken her from a nap and her lips had been dried to her teeth...

We talked about her coming home the next day, and suddenly she says:
"I haven´t heard any news while in here - what does Obama say about Syria?"
"Öhum, I don´t know."
She looks irritated.
"Well, I have had other things on my mind," I defend myself.
She purses her lips and snorts.
"Well," she says, "I suppose I shall have to try to catch up when I get home."

On the bus home, I feel mildly annoyed. Then it occurs to me that I´m so lucky that she still, at 93, is around to annoy me with her vitality and commitment, not just to her immediate community, but to the fate of humanity.