St. Patrick Day – The Dark Side

Someone I love is dying.  My heart is breaking.  From what I hear, he is much diminished given the severity of his condition.  I am scared to see him look so very sick.  I want to be brave and visit.  However, my own fragile mental state is at risk.  I am trying to think of ways to show love to him and protect myself.   I thought about not seeing him, but I think that would be just as damaging to me as seeing him would be.  Spending time with him will make this very bad dream real.  When I go I will have to be strict about doing things that help me cope.  The most important of these coping mechanisms are to stay in the moment and be careful not to merge my personality with his.  He is the one dying, not me.