my brother is dying I need advice

My younger brother is 42 yrs old and is dying of cancer. He is so deep in the closet, well it is very dark in there. He has hinted around, left small things for me to pick up on. I never went there with him (to my deep regret) because I wasn't sure if he really wanted to talk about it. Our Mom died in March and that is when he let his guard down a bit. He has just a few days left. He called a priest he met at NIH and spoke for 20 minutes. when my other brother asked him why so sad? He stated that he didn't tell the priest what he wanted to. My question is, should I approach the subject with him? We've always been very close. Should I let him bring it up? I know it will be difficult for him. My brother is a warrior, but this will be hard for him. My gut is telling me he wants to talk. Any suggestions?

 

Hi Beantownratt -

By all means go with your gut and talk with your brother. You have nothing to lose. You can broach the subject gently - you can tell him that you know about his lifestyle, tell him you still love him, and you can ask him if HE wants to talk to you about anything. You can tell him you have a feeling he needs to get something off his chest and that you are there for him. Hopefully he will open up so he can find peace and you can help him leave this world without any unfinished business.

All the best to you.

 

I definitely think you should "go there" - especially if you accept it. If I were you, I'd sit alone with him, take his hand, tell him that you know, and that you just want him to know that you accept and support him no matter what. I think it will be extremely important to him just to hear that someone in his family knows, and is okay with it.
-From someone that a lot of friends (and a few family members) trusted enough to "come out to first".