My friend Sophie is flying home to Belgium to see her dying grandma one last time.She has told us her friends that she is old,(in her 80s) has inoperable cancer of the pancreas and so they all expect the end to come soon. I think the doctors have given her 6months maximum but as in many cases, people start to deteriorate fast.

She keeps smiling and saying it's okay as she is old and I just feel sad for there are no words to comfort anyone expecting a loss. i know it's s grandparent and clearly she feels great affection for her. Just the other week she was tearing her hairs out looking for a birthday present for her. The granny had told her to send just a card as she doesn't really need much. Also it turns out that she is very finicky. If you buy a nighty then it has to be long sleeved and of a ceratin amterial. She doesn't read much, she's got slippers. I suggested a simple necklace with an engraved pendant or a bracelet as she felt strongly about buying her something meaningful.

I feel sorry for her. it brings back bad memories for her but she'll have both her parents and the rest of the family to comfort her when the time comes. i think she has resigned herself to the fact and as nonchalant as she like to act, her email was very telling today: I just thought i'd fly home this weekend to see my gradmother one more time. I think she knows it will probably be the last time she sees her before she dies. All she wanted was to know the fasted easiest way to get to Stansted airport.

Why am i writing about this? I don't know, except i can understand how difficult dealing with death is, which is why we should celebrate life as much as we can