This is a lovely post. Thank you for the reminders of what is important. I worked for one year as the volunteer coordinator for a hospice. I left as Covid descended. I have precious memories from that year. I learned so much and have such respect and admiration for all of the team members who care for the patients. God has placed special individuals in these roles. This post brings it all back for me and wraps my heart like a warm blanket. God bless you and those in your care.
Janice, I so appreciate this post. It invites me to think about my younger self, trying to make a break from society and live in the moment for as long as I could, mostly by hitchhiking about, backpacking through a bunch of wilderness areas, falling in love with all the (right? wrong? does it matter?) people I could find, then hitting the road again when it didn’t work out. Always in motion, until I or life or both together conspired to slow things down. I got to reconnect with my parents during the final decade of their lives; three years after their deaths my wife and I had a child. Now that mortality, which I had tried so hard to ignore or outrun, peers over my shoulder every moment of the day, reminding me to make every moment count. And to take care of myself, as well as others, in order to be there for this child for as long as possible. The circle, now very nearly complete. I remain curious to see what happens when the paths of those curvy lines finally cross.
Your thoughtful comment reminded me of a quote that many hospice nurses taped to their notebooks~~
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”
~~ Hunter S. Thompson
Be sure to write an autobiography of sorts for your child. Write about all your adventures, good and bad. He will cherish this when he is older.
Thank you for this, Janice.
Thank you Elizabeth.
Thank you for this today. It may be heavy for a Thursday or any day, but also welcomed and important questions and reflections. Again, I thank you.
This is a lovely post. Thank you for the reminders of what is important. I worked for one year as the volunteer coordinator for a hospice. I left as Covid descended. I have precious memories from that year. I learned so much and have such respect and admiration for all of the team members who care for the patients. God has placed special individuals in these roles. This post brings it all back for me and wraps my heart like a warm blanket. God bless you and those in your care.
Thank you so much. The volunteers are always so amazing!!
“It’s interesting how our lives get in the way of our lives.” Isn’t it ironic?
And we many times don’t even give it a thought because we always think we have time.
Janice, I so appreciate this post. It invites me to think about my younger self, trying to make a break from society and live in the moment for as long as I could, mostly by hitchhiking about, backpacking through a bunch of wilderness areas, falling in love with all the (right? wrong? does it matter?) people I could find, then hitting the road again when it didn’t work out. Always in motion, until I or life or both together conspired to slow things down. I got to reconnect with my parents during the final decade of their lives; three years after their deaths my wife and I had a child. Now that mortality, which I had tried so hard to ignore or outrun, peers over my shoulder every moment of the day, reminding me to make every moment count. And to take care of myself, as well as others, in order to be there for this child for as long as possible. The circle, now very nearly complete. I remain curious to see what happens when the paths of those curvy lines finally cross.
Thank you so much!!
Your thoughtful comment reminded me of a quote that many hospice nurses taped to their notebooks~~
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”
~~ Hunter S. Thompson
Be sure to write an autobiography of sorts for your child. Write about all your adventures, good and bad. He will cherish this when he is older.
Love all of this!!
Thank you Janice. As always your words are much appreciated.
Thank you, as always, comforting to be reminded to live life while we can.