The white cyclamen in the center of our dining room table was in full bloom for weeks.  It seemed to have stopped blooming about ten days ago, but I wasn’t ready to toss it because its heart-shaped green leaves were still vibrant. 

Then yesterday, a new bud appeared.  It’s not as robust as the original buds, but it will bloom.  I was pleased that I hadn’t given up on it.

That came to mind as Peter and I talked about a friend who has had a stroke. We don’t know the prognosis, but he is in intensive care, unable to communicate, though breathing on his own.  It’s sad.

Peter and I are clear about what we would do if something like that happened to one of us.  We both feel strongly that we don’t want to be kept alive without some quality to our life.  So far, we’ve been lucky, but at some point, that could change.

How does one decide that it is time to give up? Like with flowering cyclamens, it’s hard to know if there will be new blooms.