Just shy of 70, Witchel's smart, adoring, ultra-capable mother began to exhibit undeniable signs of dementia. But as medical reality undid hope, Witchel retreated to the kitchen to come to terms with her predicament. Gradually she developed a deeper appreciation for all the ways the parent she was losing lived on in her. When grief and helplessness became overwhelming, it was her mother, her steel-trap mind grasping just how it was coming undone, who helped her to accept the inevitable. 'There's nothing you can do because it's not up to you,' she would say. 'You're here with me now. That's enough.'