pray for you
when my mother's husband lay dying at home of pancreatic cancer, his relatives would tell him, they'll pray for him. what they're really saying is, "you're dying. there's nothing anyone can do for you." which i believe is the right way to say this thing that needs to be said without actually saying it. they're not saying, here's some medicine. they're not saying, i brought you a doctor who can heal you. they're not saying, i found a treatment that will cure you. they're saying, you're completely screwed. which actually gives you a certain freedom. you stop worrying about it. you stop producing all those stress hormones, endorphines, etc. that just get in the way of the process of healing. or dying. sometimes you recover as if by miracle. sometimes you die in peace. gerry passed away without pain. most likely of a morphine overdose.