I've been thinking about 'death' alot lately.

There are so many venues to death.
To some, it's a tragic 'end'.
Other's battle longlasting terminal illnesses...
Some 'welcome' it as a relief from pain and a 'crossing over' to a new dimension....
The Suicide Forum is absolutely FULL of beautiful people who are gifted with the strength of being available here with a loving,caring,giving heart.....

Most of us 'know' the pain that death brings, in whichever form it came.

I lost my only brother to a terrible tragic head on car accident one Friday night in 2002. We were very VERY close. I've never spoke of it here before this. We both played guitar and were like unseperable 'twins' (only he was 2 yrs younger than me). The music in me 'died' along with my brother.
Sometimes, I still feel a slight stir within me that maybe I still have music....and that maybe I can resurrect some of the songs he had written and connect with his teenage daugher (8 yrs old when he died) and we can play his songs together......
The thing that still 'haunts' me, however
is that the circumstances surrounding his terrible tragic accident
were such that, he was struggling severely with some mental (and other) issues.
....to those of us close enough to him, there is the horrible unanswered question that we dare not face, but it is THERE.
.....did he perhaps purposely turn his steering wheel into that oncoming vehicle late that night? Was he in such anquish and at that moment in time, did that seem like a 'good way out'?
We will never know. Nor do we DARE want to think that.
......because the other driver died at that split second in time as well.

The last few songs he wrote....I could read between the lines....
..he didn't spell it out, per se, ..as in a 'suicide note'....
but his lyrics...were haunting and spoke a language that brings shear sorrow to the core of my heart. He was truly a hurting man.
The thing is, he 'covered' his pain with a sense of humor that even the best of stand-up commedians would strive to attain...
That was his way of 'not talking' about his anguish within.
He didn't want to 'bother' others with it, nor did he want to face it himself.

Suicide? Tragedy? Fate?

MY QUESTION IS THIS:
What do you 'say' to a dying person ?

My favorite Aunt will be passing thru my town (via ambulance transport) to get back to where she lives, so she can peacefully die at home.
She has battled a rare cancerous condition for the past year that has rendered her on the losing end of the stick.....
She will be placed on Hospice care for her last few days/weeks at home.
She is only 63.
She was always full of life and doing things for others.

My family has made arrangement to meet with the ambulance as they stop off to re-fuel before continuing on the interstate to get her to her final destination.
Please open your hearts and share with me what would YOU say....?
Talking about the weather wouldn't really matter
Asking about her travel in the ambulance doesn't seem to 'fit'.
Talking about 'future plans' is not the direction to go
Standing there crying and saying 'goodbye'.....?.... well, that's not what I would want to see if i were the one with numbered days....
Thanking her for all the cards she's sent.....seems ... futile ?

Until, my 'family' here (who truly know the heartache involved) share ...
I guess I'll just go with my heart. I'll try to put on a brave face, but if tears break thru, then what can I do? I'll certainly say 'I love you'....
I guess, I'll just hug her and look deep in her eyes and say.....
"see ya later".......

Rae