Dear Prudence,
Two years ago, my mom was in a tragic accident on her way to work. She fell down the stairs at a train station and suffered a traumatic brain injury. She entered a coma while in the hospital and is now in a persistent vegetative state. Her doctors say there is no hope for recovery. Unfortunately, my mother did not discuss end-of-life treatment options with anyone, and my father refuses to consider the withdrawal of her feeding tube. Two years later, I have worked through most of my grief and consider my mother to have died shortly after her accident. But I find myself unable to address the issue of my mother with new friends. I am also not interested in discussing the particulars of her prognosis or my family’s conflicts in this matter, and legally my mother is not dead. Any suggestions on how I talk briefly about my mother’s current state without having to leave things open for discussion?