but our extended family has come to a peaceful conclusion that if a certain member were to take her life, she would be free from some terrible darkness and mental illness.

That doesn't mean we want her dead or that we wouldn't grieve tremendously if she took her own life. But her life has been terrible, sometimes so much that it would be merciful for it to end.

She is on a relative upswing over the last nine or ten months and we are cheering for her. We hope she can carve out happiness in the long-term. We won't ever give up on her. But if she goes, we would be at peace.

If you cannot understand this, replace "mental illness" with "cancer" and it might make more sense to you. Family and friends who watch cancer ravage a loved one have a merciful view of death when it finally comes. That is how it would be for our mentally ill loved one.