Thank you all for opening your hearts and sharing.
This is a very sensitive issue for most people and I appreciate that you've talked openly about it.....

I've been gone the past several days to spend time with my aunt....
She was SO brave! Never ONCE did she make mention of any pain, distress, woes, sorrow. She never even focused on her illness at all! At least not during the time I was there with my family. If anybody ventured toward the discussion of 'dying'.....she steered the conversation back toward talking about LIFE! About LIVING LIFE while it's here!
She didn't open herself to pity or feeling sorry, or even asking 'why' !
She simply wanted to 'see' all her relatives....and to laugh with us.

You wouldn't even had known she is sick (except for her hair gone from the chemo and carrying around her little morphine bag - which looked more like a little handbag, not like the morphine 'pumps' you see in hospitals.)
She did not draw attention to any of that.

We did what Jo*Mar spoke of.......talked memories....lots and lots of memories..good AND 'bad'

Thank you Dahlek, you are so right. Leave the family 'nitpicking' alone.....
Love covers all. The time to visit her was short, so we had to make it count.
She loved talking about future things (such as my 1st grandbaby on the way)....as tho she was going to 'be there'.....in other words...she chose to talk about life going on.....not about life coming to an end.

And, thank you Mark, like you said.....just listening. Lots of listening.
To this day I don't really know where she is at 'spiritually'. That is something she never really talked about openly.....so, I respected that as well. I would have LOVED to talk endlessly about the future hope we have and my love of the Lord.....but since she didn't open up to that, I left well enough alone.
All I do know is that they recently joined a church. So, I guess that says something. Some people keep their spirituality a very very private thing and choose not to talk about it. I respect that.

Again, thank you for sharing your feelings and thoughts on this. It really means alot to me.....

and thank you Blue..... your hugs are so very special!
A hug sure goes a long way

Rae