Lately I have had time to think. The weather is still gray and snowy, not the pretty kind. Yesterday it rained. There is mud everywhere and going outside feels blah. Sitting by my fire upstairs in the den has been a balm, until thoughts intrude. A few days ago I was called to the ER for an urgent hospice admit. We have a level of care in hospice that is called GIP, general inpatient. These are patients for whom we cannot get symptoms managed at home.
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.
Thank you for this, Janice.
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.
“It’s interesting how our lives get in the way of our lives.” Isn’t it ironic?
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!!
Thank you Janice. As always your words are much appreciated.
Thank you, as always, comforting to be reminded to live life while we can.