My mother Kay died while in a long term care home. I am grateful that we had a chance to understand each other better and share some laughs in the years before her death. She gave me the wonderful gift of expressing her contentment with life, love for her family, and readiness to die. I so appreciated the kindness and empathy of the RN who stood with me and prayed with me as she received the sacrament of the sick. The staff cared for her with quiet dignity. The honour guard as she left the building for the last time was moving. The only regret-that we knew she was dying before the doctor believed it, and her pain could have been managed better, sooner.