Aging and Magic Mushrooms

From the Neuzeit Tarot, the Ace of Pentacles:

I'm late blogging today because I've been sitting with my 92 year old mother-in-law, who is having some health issues.  She recently had a fall, but stubbornly refuses to use a cane or walker.  She's developed a respiratory infection that has knocked her for a loop, and thinks I'm nuts for encouraging her to drink water to help it (she prefers coffee and Cheetos).  Her loss of memory is now obvious and not helped by her lack of interest in food.  She gives up small pieces of her independence only grudgingly, though at this stage in the game she realizes she does need help.  The coin in the center of this image shows a cycle of a flower blooming then fading, reminding me of the gift of heath that comes and goes no matter what our age.  I take so much for granted until I am like the crouched pair of humans in the card, reaching for what they don't have and need.  It's bloody cold and windy today, but now that I'm home I'm going for a walk; I'll be grateful for the ability to do it no matter what the weather.

The roll from Rory's Story Cubes produced "mushroom and basement:"

Hmmm.... a magic mushroom and steps descending into darkness.  Makes me think of the effect of a psychedelic drug on the mind, bringing the unconscious into consciousness and seeing with awareness on a different level.  The time spent with my mother-in-law involves much patience and tolerance, and I have to admit sometimes I become a clock watcher when I am with her.  What is it that makes me so uncomfortable?  Boredom may play a part (the same stories and questions over and over), but I feel like there is something hidden under the surface, something she triggers in my unconscious.  Perhaps she reminds me of my own mortality, that one day I too will have to rely on others to do for me what I can't do for myself.  Makes me look at patience in a whole new light...