Driving:when will you stop?

[shootingstar]

Well this situation is real, my partner's mother died last year at 93.

After her husband died, she lived in the same city as my partner or earlier, at least 100 kms. away from him. Or other years, she lived with her other son (who lives in the US) at different times of her life. Whenever she lived in the same city/near same city as my partner, my partner never had a car. She also never learned to drive. But she did take public transit or walked to do grocery shopping right up until she was 86 yrs. old. Store would be approx. 2 kms. away at most.

It never occurred to her to demand her son (my partner) to buy a car to transport her around. When she lived in Vancouver right up to her death, she was close enough for us to bike over or walk to her place. My partner faithfully visited his mother several times a week by getting there on bike or walking. The furthest she ever lived from us was about 5 kms. away..she lived in 3 different places over a period of 6 years, each place signifying a different level of independence/care.

When she became wheelchair bound she truly missed her walks, even during the time she was using a walker. Walking to her, was like cycling is to us. I mean it was amazing for her to do her 2 km. walk with my partner walking along side at age 91 yrs., up a 6-7% grade long hill.

She was very fortunate to have family near by in a big city ....who like her, didn't have a car at all. That includes her grand-daughter who doesn't have a car either.

And occasionally we had her take taxi during bad weather times. Averaged about 1-2 times per month.