The death of Nora Ephron last June came as a shock to many of us, but in an article for the New York Times Magazine, her son recounts the last days of the esteemed writer-director.

Nora Ephron kept news of her leukemia under wraps, but her family was close by her side for the nearly six years Ephron battled with the cancer.

"Nora Ephron's Final Act" is a heartfelt account of her finals days as told by her son, New York Times contributor Jacob Bernstein.

Bernstein, as the son of two writers (his father is journalist Carl Bernstein), was by his mother's side during her final days and did what any good writer would do, he took notes.

The son of Nora Ephron spoke with the "Today" show's Matt Lauer on Thursday about the NYT memorial.

He explained his reasons for writing the piece by saying, "My mother's mother, who was also a writer, always said 'Everything is copy,'" he said. "When she was on her deathbed, she said to my mother, 'Take notes.' And my mother did. So I don't think I'm doing something that's out of sync."

Bernstein also says that while writing about the final days of Nora Ephron, he was thinking of his mother's life, not just her death.

He recounts the secret details of his mother's illness for the New York Times piece, from her first diagnosis to her last moments on Earth. Bernstein notes that even in the final days, Nora Ephron was quick-witted, serving up sharp jokes. He also discusses the less than happy consequences of Ephron's illness and death, such as hallucinations.

"'Would it be good enough?' was the biggest question on my mind," he added. "She would have found a way to be funny about it, she would have found a way to be heartbreaking about it, and that's what she was, you know, great at."

"Nora Ephron's Final Act" will appear in Sunday's issue of the New York Times Magazine.