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My dad suddenly has been very, oddly peaceful. Smiles a lot, tells me I need to smile more. Thanks me for every little thing I do. Says he isn’t going to make it to Christmas. He has been so depressed lately but suddenly seems... peaceful. It’s the only way to describe it.

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Those who do not fear death can feel it's presence more readily and embrace. My grandfather became very peaceful in spirit in his last few weeks and spoke his truths. My father feared his death and would not acknowledge its inevitable presence in his last few hours, therefore, it was not peaceful for him. My cousin feared hers as it was within hours of a late stage diagnosis of cancer, but she was young mother and feared for her children and her death was not peaceful. My husband was in denial about his imminent death from cancer and never reconciled with it but his death was peaceful in the sense he was not conscious during his end of life days. You and your father are fortunate.
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After a traumatic brain injury, my husband knew he was dying. I asked the nurse if there were medical indications of that. No, no medical indicators, but sometimes patients knew better than the tests. So our daughter got their children out of school, and brought their babies in. Everyone got to see Grandpa. Grandpa lived another 10 years, developed dementia, and lived another ten years after that.

So, no, patients don't always sense their own deaths correctly, but I expect it happens sometimes.

One situation where people "know" when they will die is when they plan it themselves. I have read that sudden calm, peacefulness, making peace with loved ones, etc., can be a sign of planning suicide. I hate to bring this up, mama123, but you mention severe depression. Is your dad being treated for that?

You might find these articles about suicide by WebMed and Mayo Clinic interesting:

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/recognizing-suicidal-behavior#1

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/suicide/symptoms-causes/syc-20378048

I hope I am way, way off base here, mama, and I probably am. But I'd want someone to bring this to my attention if I were in your spot. Better safe than sorry. Please come back and tell us how this progresses.
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Maybe. Of course we hear more about the people who predicted their deaths correctly than about those who were wrong, I've no doubt there are many more people who fall into the latter category.
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Sometimes they do.

My DH's sister passed in April and he just "out of the blue" told me he would be next. He passed in May.

DH's BIL told his wife (DH's sister) that he was passing on Wednesday and by golly, he passed on Wednesday.

Sometimes they know.
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I live in a different state from my parents. My dad told me one year at Christmas that "I won't be around much longer". I dismissed it because he was in relatively good health for 83 year old. He passed away January 30. I will always regret the lost opportunity.
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My mother died at 64. She had been ill with cancer 10 years before, but was cured(?), and for 10 years lived a great life. Then, holy hell broke lose.
Cancer returned went from her lungs, bones and then brain, in 6 months!! She had stopped smoking 40 years before this.
Anyway, about 2 weeks before she died, she said she saw her mother, and some others who had previously passed.
I told her that God is waiting for her to hold her in His arms.
I also told her , that her angel is here with her now.helping her.
( Guess you know by now, we are Catholic) She suffered mentally & physically those last few weeks. I am actually crying as I write this. She was so good, kind, and loving. But the day she died, I went in to see if she would like some tea. She said," I saw a bright light, and my mother again". She told me she loved me, and was disturbed she would not see my daughter graduate from college, a few weeks later.( my daughter & my Mom were very close) She said, no tea, she wanted to go to God.
She died less than 5 minutes later. There is so much more to this story, but now is not the time. I didn't want my mother to die in a hospital, so she was with me. Thank God, for a good husband and friends, and the angels from Hospice care that last month. ( My job was wonderful, and gave me all the time I needed, plus, they paid me, which I never asked for, nor expected.)
I really think people do know when they are ready to die.
I guess because of my belief in God, that she would finally be out of pain, and with the loved ones who predeced her.
And I do believe that we live on this Earth for a very short time, but in Heaven, no one is sick,or in pain. I'm sorry for going on & on. To this very day, I miss her so.
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There is a great book called "Final Gifts." Read it.

Yes, I think they know. My aunt told one sitter, 2 nights before she passed that her (deceased) husband visited her that night. She also kept saying he was coming to get her to take her on a trip. In the book I mentioned, it says people who are terminally ill will frequently mention they are going on a trip soon. Or they talk about getting in a line.
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My mother knew it was coming. Kept reading life after death books. She was in denial for months though. Kept asking why she wasn’t getting better. It wasn’t until the last two weeks of her life that she came to terms with it. The most amazing thing was that she was no longer afraid. I kept asking. Her last words to me were to tell me she was dying. It was gut wrenching to hear and that day was difficult to watch, but I find great comfort knowing she was truly at peace, and that I was there to witness all of it. It was the most difficult 11 months of my life. Watching the decline was brutal. The biggest clue to us that it was getting close was her disengaging from all the things she loved. When she stopped reading, watching the news, asking about her hearing aids, watch and eyeglasses, we knew she was ready to leave. It wasn’t depression related. It was more like letting go of the world, and preparing for the next.

Whether it’s a day, week, month, year or years, cherish your time together.
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Mama123
Yes they do. It is going to be very hard, but I think it is God's way of letting YOU know that He will be taking our family member home.
My husband is Jewish where I am Pentecostal. In my husband's Faith and I don't understand why, but children rarely attend viewing, only the funeral. One doesn't even touch the deceased! If one has ever attended a Jewish funeral you will see that there is a shroud over the person if it is an open casket so the deceased cannot be touched. There are only certain people allowed to touch for ritual purpose.
In my Faith, if the deceased is a family member we touch, say goodbye and will even kiss on the forehead....shocked my husband's family.
Anyway, my husband's Grandmother as well as his Mother, would actually sit up and reach out to 'someone' who they could only see. Nanny would even call out Gramp's name and her deceased sister etc. His Mother would suddenly sit up in her hospital bed, reach out and move her fingers like 'come here'. She would be moving her lips, but she didn't speak loud enough for any of us to understand with whom she was talking. Again, this seemed to be very 'odd' to my in-laws. I tried to explain what was happening, but they wouldn't have any of it!
In my Faith, we believe that God brings your loved ones with Him to help you cross over. Those who loved you most or you loved most (we all have our favorites) are the ones who are at the front of the line with God.
Just know again, that this is God's way of preparing you the best He can for the next step. Know that perhaps the person is your Mother (if she is deceased), his Mother, Grandmother or sibling. Your Father is going toward a happy place where he will not be suffering, in pain etc. He will be with family again.
May God be with you and He knows what you're going through too. He will be over your right shoulder talking to you without you even realizing; then you will have your Spiritual Angel once your Father has crossed.
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my mom was 93 when she passed, she said my grandmom had came to see her and later my dad came and told her it was not her time yet. i really cant say because the bible does not tell us that dead comes back and speak with us...However, there is nothing to hurt for God or impossible for God to do.. Even my dad before he died he was in the hospital, he said his old friend who had died 3 years before him came to see him and they had a long talk, about a week before he died, he told me Jean, I made it and was extremely happy, mom died in her sleep, dad looks at me and told me he loved me and that was it for him...so i really dont know, if they say that won't make it, trust me, they know somehow... :)
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My dad fought the thought of death for 5 years, he was angry and argumentative. I noticed about a month or so before he passed he became calm and didn’t argue anymore. The day his legs gave out we had to call 911 to take him to the er to get checked out I told him I would not leave him. He knew, within 3 days he passed, I was with him for his last breath, it was peaceful. I miss him I am now an orphan.
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Yes! Just weeks ago my niece who was in hospital on oxygen for sudden on of brain cancer, called her father and told him that she was diein
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I was a hospice nurse for many years. Many of my patients knew when the end time was near. Many would tell me and tell me not to tell their love ones ,because they had made peace with it , and did not want to worry the family.
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She wanted to see him before she died. It's a good thing he flew to her because she died within the week.
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I wish I had the answers but interestingly my mother became extremely "sweet" during the month or two before we lost her. My wife (we were caring for her in our home) mentioned how she hated to leave her when she had to care for our kids because she was so sweet and wanted just to love on her. My mother was never a mean person but an obvious increased sweetness was present. I wish I knew what that meant but she told an aide a few days prior that she wasn't ready to leave and go to heaven yet so her very sudden decline shocked us. Literally talked to her and told her goodnight and a few hours later found her gurgling. She lived a few more days but could not talk much other than to say she was getting weaker and that she loved me "more" as she always said in response to me telling her I loved her. She had lost interest in things she used to enjoy and eating had diminished but we thought we had the remaining months of the year. Her service was this past Saturday and only a miracle from God will help me move on. I loved her so and wish I had of had more talks with her. Just took fore granted that time is not promised and regret every minute that I spent away from her to work, clean the house or go to the Y.
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My Mom was a Preacher’s wife. She spoke to Dad’s boss (The District Superintendent) and at the end of the conversation, he prayed for her. She hung up and said she was ready to go. She died the next morning. She was 97 years old and up to that time had still lived alone and was in good health. It’s pretty amazing.
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I think they always know. And we probably know when a loved one is dying, too. Our intuition is powerful.

But some of them don't want to worry the family members, so they don't say a thing.
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My mother knew it was coming. My mother knew the exact day. One times she told me that pack her suitcase, she is ready to go home. i told her that you are at home. i thought she is confused and she is thinking that she is in the hospital. So many different time she try to tell me that she is ready to go but i did not understand her. But one final day, i was sitting next to her she told me i have 3 more days to go. I still didn't take it seriously. But at this point i talk to her nurse next morning and ask her to check to see if she can found any sign for my mom. that day was Friday morning. Nurse told me her vitals are normal and all. my mother was in home hospice since October. before nurse left our house she give my mom hug and told her good buy in-case she is did not see my mother on Monday. Friday night, I try to give her night time medicine she didn't want to take it she told me to wait for some time. she was like you are giving me medicine i am not going to woke up, just let me stay awake for some time. so i did not give her medicine. but after some time she fall a sleep. Friday night she was restless toss and turning all night. that night my sister one of my friend and i take turn to stay in her room to watch her. around 5.00am she threw up all blood and that was it. Never woke up after that. She died on Sunday evening. She took her last breath in front me my daughter and my friend. I wish I knew what that meant but she told me a few days prior that she is ready to leave in 3 days and go to heaven yet so her very sudden decline shocked us. I miss her so much. She was my best friend and everything. I have been taking care of her last 13 years. I am lost without her.
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My late mother: "It won't be long now."
"It's time."
"I've lived long enough."


Just what a daughter wants to hear.
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Wow amazing stories
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I truly believe they do. My Dad, when he was near the end was in so much pain and anguish. The called me at three in the morning and I drove 60 miles to be with him. I could tell that he was worried about me and Mom. I told him everything would be ok I would take care of Mom and that we would be ok. It was ok for him to go home and be out of the pain and anguish he was in. He passed away a short time later.

My Mom, was sitting in her hospital bed. She let me know that the time was near. We said our good byes that night (had the nurses in tears) and later that night she went to be with my Dad who had been the love of her life. My Mom I feel was not afraid of death.  I still to this day miss them both so much. 

I will cherish whatever time I have left with my honey as there are no guarantees left as to the amount of time either of us has. I died 3 times shortly after my honey and I got together due to hydrochloric acid poisoning where I worked at the time (it was not my time to go...there was more for me to do...that was around 29 years ago)so I do not fear death, but I believe honey may. But even with all that has gone on the last few months I hope and pray we still have much more time together before that time comes for either of us.
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The week before my mom in nursing home said they told her she was moving to another place and for me to know to get her things...I feared what she was saying and said it was too cold to go out and we would go out in warming weather . .January in ny...few days later she was apologizing for me putting my life on hold for her all these years . .told her she's my mom....next morning when I got her laundry she kept saying she was worried about me..I told her I'm ok..she said I will always worry cause I'm your mom..I left saying I love you..see you tomorrow . .she shouted as I left..I LOVE YOU MORE..the next morning she was dying..she waited til I got there..couldn't speak or move but nurse said shallow breathing so I knew she could hear mr..I held her letting her know I will remember everything she told me to do and I love you more . ..I kissed her and then her hand went limp and she left....nobody can tell me they don't know because she knew I was coming that morning and waited for me before she left...I came into this world with her holding me and she left with me holding her..the way it was meant to be
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Uncle John was 89 and too frail to be operated on. He was suffering from a closing hernia. He never talked much; so, we were surprised when we heard him having a conversation in his bedroom which adjoins the living room. Immediately, I went in and saw him looking up into the corner behind his bed. I asked him who he was talking to and he said "angel". I asked him if he needed anything and he said "ibuprofen". I went the 12 feet to the bottle and came back and he was gone. He had been looking up into that corner for a week. We think he knew and was waiting for "angel" to come and get him.
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