A few weeks ago I wrote a post about my Aunt Aldea and how she is beginning to slip into the last stages of her life. I just heard from my parents that it may be within the next few days. She’s in the nursing home and is essentially nonresponsive. This process could take just a few hours, or it could stretch into a week or longer. This has always been the most mysterious part of the dying process for me. I believe the person is beginning the transformation from this life to the next but none of us really knows what it is like. We always assume that the person can hear (that’s why it’s bad taste to start dividing up the stuff in their room while they are present) but don’t even know that for certain. I’ve seen people have conversations with people who died years before and I suspect they may be talking with them. The good news is that the pain medication seems to be working and she isn’t in any real discomfort. She will be missed.