It scares me to see how people I love lose hope when facing illness.

There is this constant fear in their voices, the faked cheerfulness and optimism when everything seems so bleak.

And it breaks me to take part in the whole 'play' set-up, having no choice, as every opportunity taken to talk about the problem as it is, is pushed aside and diverted.

It breaks me even more, to know that there is nothing I can do but offer up a little prayer. The feeling of helplessness, and the fear that anytime at all, I would lose the person.

I knew I would face this one day. I just didn't know when.