When Speaking with a Dying Person

I have a long-time friend who now is very old, homebound, and spends most of his time in bed. He probably has just a few months to live.

Yet, except for the times he’s in bad pain, he manages to be upbeat. He still derives pleasure from our conversations, sometimes passionate, about politics, redistribution, and whether Popeye’s or KFC biscuits are better.

I’ve spoken with him every few days for a year now, as I did with my mom during her last year, and thought it might be helpful to share what I’ve learned about interacting with a dying person. I do so in my Psychology Today article today.