What is Your Celebration?

Celebrations occur at a variety of milestones; birth, graduation, weddings, life remembrances. 

Attending the 50th wedding anniversary of my husband's sister and her husband, it was easy to

realize what causes a golden wedding anniversary to be so special. 

Like hospice patients, celebrations in life culminate from the relationships formed during

the years.  The people who cry, laugh and support you and place judgment anywhere but

on you remain permanently etched in your heart. In the celebratory moment, each family member and friend appears and displays

their impressions of how you have added value to their lives through your relationship. I just finished reading The Mercy Paper by Robin Romm and will be speaking soon on the

same panel where she will be discussing her book.  If you have read this piece, it drastically

defines the hospice nurse as cold hearted.  I know that there was a dual lens of perception in this encounter.

The sweetest hospice nurse on earth is still an icon of impending death.  I wonder if all that

might change if we treated each hospice patient the same way my family celebrated the

50 golden years of marriage of our loved ones.  There was story telling, hugging and laughter,

and lots of "Do you remember when we....?"

 

I am sure a lot of hospice staff work diligently to make this happen with their patients but

if not, I would ask that we look closely at life celebrations.  Let's learn to hug, laugh, and value

more the person with whom we are blessed to be in their presence.

 

If death is really a part of living, then celebrating can occur anytime along the way.  It's up

to us to invite ourselve to the party.

 

 

Learn to celebrate the life of hospice patients by becoming a hospice volunteer.  Start training now.

 

 

Posted via email from Hospice Volunteer Training Online