The Things People Wish They Knew Before Witnessing a Loved One’s Death

16.

“The rally. The fucking rally. I wish I knew about it before experiencing it. It’s absolutely heartbreaking and cruel when you don’t know what is going on. But knowing about it now, I know that it can be utilized in a way to make for a very positive experience for all involved.”

“I think another important thing to know is that it is perfectly OK to openly talk about the possibility of death with your loved ones. I spent so much time shielding my dad from any possibility of death, that I feel that I robbed him of his opportunity to make his peace with the idea. I should have given him the chance to say anything he wanted to say in preparation — make amends (although he didn’t really have any amends to make), speak his love, tell his stories, speak about his fears, make final requests/preparations, etc. I’m often riddled with guilt that i accidentally took that right away from him.”

—u/katvondive