Father has been given a year to live. Conversations are awkward, both frivolous and devastating. How does one talk with the dying?

Tall about whatever he wants to talk about.

Tall to him like you would talk to anyone else.

No one knows when their last day on earth will be.

You are talking to the living because we are all dying

He obviously sees the writing on the wall. I'd let him talk and neither agree or disagree. Just let him talk When it is appropriate, talk about what he is taking about - loving and kind Let him lead the conversations and just being with him and being close will help him, and you too.

I lost my mom 4 years ago and I talked to her all hours of the night and day about anything I could to get anything from her I could about her life and why she did things so crazy. My mom was one hell of a women who did anything someone would say couldn't be done. She lived a crazy fly by the seat of her pants life most she had hidden away in memories I got to hear about. Record as much as you can and learn as much as you can you will regret it if you don't you will forget so much. Make sure you laugh, cry, sing, dance, see each other as much as you can. Take the time not many people get to have and just be there. my mom was medically nuts and wanted to be alone. She also wanted to live like she wasn't dying and I respected that when others didn't even believe she had a ticking clock on her life with us and it cause big problems in our family. my mom was the type who you would think would die some crazy death committing every crime she could bare to commit and trust me she had robbed some Banks and I mean many of them she was never caught doing. she was able to stand up to the biggest person she could that was pissed off and she would get them to stop and laugh it off. she was one hell of a person to go at 55.

So take your time to know your loved one and find out secrets and wishes never done. Find out things you have been scared to ask all your life and tell them some secrets can remain as such till they pass or even at all if you wish to hold on to them. I have all my mom's secrets I have told 2 people the ones she had held about them and I was not believed and I laughed telling them well mom said you would never in your life take the truth even if it was standing in front of them. She was more my sister then a mom and she was happy my dad married a good women who was more of a mom for me because my mom knew she was never supposed to be a parent she was to wild. I go so many I am sorry for how I raised you and how you have been treated your whole life. I did it because I see me when I look at you and I never wanted you to be like me. She passed away alone in Alaska one week after the divorce she had been trying to get for 3 years. she passed away with his last name and it will never be able to be changed like she wanted. I was the last to talk to her and I am the only one no one talks to in my family.

so help your loved one do what they want and find out as much as you can trust that you are one of us lucky ones who get this time.

DO NOT WASTE IT!!!

Imho, perhaps you can have conversations with him about his past.