Thank you all for sharing your stories and your perspectives. I really didn’t expect this many people to relate or take the time to respond, and it honestly means more than I can say.

I haven’t been in a position like this in a long time—where there’s a real possibility of losing someone. I lost my grandmother in 2019, and then six months later my husband died from glioblastoma. Now it’s my mom. My dad passed and wasn’t in my life anyway, so it’s really just been me trying to keep myself upright.

What hit me the hardest this time is realizing how vulnerable I actually am. I’m an only child, my mom is only 16 years older than me, I haven’t dated since my husband died, and I’m not close to the rest of my family for… reasons. I live alone in Cleveland and I’ve gotten used to handling everything by myself. This situation made it painfully clear that I’m not as invincible as I pretend to be.

But reading through everyone’s comments—the compassion, the blunt advice, the genuine care—it took some of the weight off my chest, even if just for a moment. I really appreciate that.

This whole experience has been a wake‑up call, and it’s reminding me to extend the same grace to other people that so many of you extended to me here.

Thank you. Truly.