A family friend is dying. She pretty much has been for most of this past year. The out look for how long she had has seemed to be given in chunks. Maybe till the end of May. Hopefully till Thanksgiving…
Well the final word has come… one to two months, maybe. Attempts at treatment have been stopped and hospice plans are being made. Also requests for what to put in a obituary have been asked for.
This is not my first dance with death and dying. As mentioned in a previous post I’ve lost my paternal grandmother. From the age of ten I have lost more people than I can count off the top of my head.
But this one will be a hard. I’ve known this woman for twenty seven years (just about my entire life) and she is part of our extended family. Another factor making it difficult is she is one of my mom’s best friends. It’s hard to watch the ones you love give up hope and resign themselves to what can no longer be avoided.
It’s also difficult to think about the family she will be leaving behind. Her husband, two kids (both adults now), siblings, nieces and nephews, in-laws and such. She has been the linchpin in the family, and a guiding force in her kids lives. I cannot imagine her family without her.
So as I said, you can prepare for this all you want. Even see it coming for almost a year. But in the end the loss will still hurt like hell.
