Being there for a loved one's final breaths

Being there for a loved one's final breaths 
NextAvenue, by Elaine Soloway; 2/26/24
"I'll be downstairs," I told him one night. "And I'll be up to kiss you goodnight before I go to sleep." He smiled and squeezed my hand. I had barely settled on the couch when the hospice worker appeared at the top of the stairs. "He's gone," she said. I learned this pause is not unusual. Hospice workers report that some people who are dying wait to be alone for their final breaths.
Editor's Note: This personal reflection raises awareness of challenges for hospice families who are separated by long distance.