Pinksoil recently recommended a book, "Necessary Losses" by Judith Viorst.

I picked up a copy a few weeks ago and now I need it badly.

It's a great book about loss. About mourning. About how life is a series of losses and mourning them. It's an interesting and comfroting book.

Yes either way is hard. Sudden loss is quite a shock to the system and sometimes things seem to be left unresolved. Predictable can be hard too because it can mean a long illness and much stress for the caregivers. And some families that are dysfunctional carry that dysfunction to the end and they don't get to say the things they wish they could because of that.

Loss is very hard no matter how it comes, but I think if feels as if we have some control over it when it's predictable.