It's tough isn't it? I lost a dear friend to cancer at 40 and my mum at 64. I don't think it can ever be easy and it is hard to watch someone you love die. Don't be afraid to talk to friends and extended family about how you are feeling and let them support you as much as they can. Sometimes you need to cry and that's ok too, I suspect that it's better than trying to keep things bottled up. Try not to worry about the future, just take one day at a time. And make the most of the time you have left with your mum - it's a bitter sweat time, that can create some very special memories. I can't pretend I don't miss my mum, I still do (7 years on) but it gets easier with time. My sister is 8 years younger than me and I found she just needed to talk. I'm not her mum, but I can care when something important happens and I can make time for her. She needed me a lot to start with, but she has adjusted too and I know that losing our mum has brought us closer together. Your sister is young and she has those difficult teenage years ahead when hormones are challenging, but you've been there and you will be able to help her through. You will find that people are kind. They don't always know what to say or do, but they do want to help and make things easier if they can. Be kind to yourself; this is the time to cut yourself some slack. I stopped reading newspapers for a few months (news is so often bad news and I didn't need any more), I asked friends who wanted to help to send me funny films or books and I took extra care of my diet and sleeping habits. You say your mum is dying; cancer is a strange thing and that can mean days, weeks, months or even years. Cancer sufferers can have peaks and troughs and I've no idea how your mum is coping but if she is up to talking, tell her how you feel, I'm sure she can guess. Even a cry together can be cathartic. If I could go back and change just one thing about that last bit with my mum, it would be to be more honest with her about how I felt and try less hard to be strong. My friend had daughters, her husband is a caring, fantastic dad but of course she was sad at the thought of not being there to see them grow up. We talked about it because she wanted to andmy experience of people who know they are dying is that they are often incredibly open. It's ok to talk about your fears and how you feel but I can say that as sad as it is, every person I know that has lost a parent has coped. There will be moments when you think 'I wish mum could see this' etc, and I understand you feeling jealous when the world seems full of happy people. This will pass in time and you will be happy again. Your mother made you, you carry part of her with you, always. Wishing you and your family all the best.

It's tough isn't it? I lost a dear friend to cancer at 40 and my mum at 64. I don't think it can ever be easy and it is hard to watch someone you love die. Don't be afraid to talk to friends and extended family about how you are feeling and let them support you as much as they can. Sometimes you need to cry and that's ok too, I suspect that it's better than trying to keep things bottled up. Try not to worry about the future, just take one day at a time. And make the most of the time you have left with your mum - it's a bitter sweat time, that can create some very special memories. I can't pretend I don't miss my mum, I still do (7 years on) but it gets easier with time. My sister is 8 years younger than me and I found she just needed to talk. I'm not her mum, but I can care when something important happens and I can make time for her. She needed me a lot to start with, but she has adjusted too and I know that losing our mum has brought us closer together. Your sister is young and she has those difficult teenage years ahead when hormones are challenging, but you've been there and you will be able to help her through. You will find that people are kind. They don't always know what to say or do, but they do want to help and make things easier if they can. Be kind to yourself; this is the time to cut yourself some slack. I stopped reading newspapers for a few months (news is so often bad news and I didn't need any more), I asked friends who wanted to help to send me funny films or books and I took extra care of my diet and sleeping habits. You say your mum is dying; cancer is a strange thing and that can mean days, weeks, months or even years. Cancer sufferers can have peaks and troughs and I've no idea how your mum is coping but if she is up to talking, tell her how you feel, I'm sure she can guess. Even a cry together can be cathartic. If I could go back and change just one thing about that last bit with my mum, it would be to be more honest with her about how I felt and try less hard to be strong. My friend had daughters, her husband is a caring, fantastic dad but of course she was sad at the thought of not being there to see them grow up. We talked about it because she wanted to andmy experience of people who know they are dying is that they are often incredibly open. It's ok to talk about your fears and how you feel but I can say that as sad as it is, every person I know that has lost a parent has coped. There will be moments when you think 'I wish mum could see this' etc, and I understand you feeling jealous when the world seems full of happy people. This will pass in time and you will be happy again. Your mother made you, you carry part of her with you, always. Wishing you and your family all the best.