It's hot in Muddling Through As Best I Can

It’s very hot here today, I’m hugging the air conditioning vents, lol.
That’s not really the point of this post, though. I’ve been speaking to a friend and former co-worker. She just lost her Dad, and a few years ago her mom. Her 27 year old son has been diagnosed with myeloid leukemia, and she’s afraid of losing him.
You would think at my age, and with my background, I would have the perfect words of comfort for her but I don’t because they don’t exist.
I told her my sister in law has been living with the same diagnoses for several years now, and is doing well, but that is not much comfort to a frightened parent.
I can’t tell her that the pain of loss will go away, because it doesn’t. It gets much easier to live with, but you will always love and miss the people you lose in life.
My mother has been gone 32 years this year, and my Dad for 17.
I lost my eldest 22 years ago, and my next to youngest 7 years ago. Still miss them and think about the “what-if’s” and “could-have-been’s” every day.
I don’t want to tell someone who’s already under the huge amount of stress that she is under these things.
So, I just encouraged her to take care of herself so she can be there for him (Because, you moms out there are notoriously bad about taking proper care of your own needs). Told her I love her, and told her I was a phone call away 24-7 if she needs us.
And, from experience; if a person talks about their loved ones who have died, especially their children, they’re not always looking for sympathy. They just want to be able to talk about them and remember them.
If you know someone like this, they’d love to hear a memory you have over a cup of coffee or tea. It’s not all tears and melancholy, I’m able to remember and laugh about many things we all said and did. It just takes time to get there.