Changes!

Well, this day has finally arrived. Today is my last day at Coastal Hospice. After 8 years of visiting people in their homes to support them at the end of life, this is the end of my time doing this work. As for what comes next, stay tuned for more updates on that. Today is a day to celebrate and give thanks for my time at hospice.

I have loved meeting people and hearing their stories. My heart has ached when I entered the same home again for another family member nearing death, and yet that was also the beauty of doing this work for so long. If a second family member needed our services, families knew they would get the support they needed for this hard time.

So many people think hospice is all tears and sadness. I worked hard to help people understand that we are here to help with meaning making, to celebrate the joys-I cannot even add up how many birthdays I helped celebrate, and to make this part of the journey a little easier. I baptized someone in a swimming pool. I officiated a wedding in a living room. I served communion and brought ashes to homes for Ash Wednesday. I sang Christmas carols in July. I watched birds eating from feeders and sat outside sweating with people who loved the outdoors.

I love hospice because we treat the patient as a whole person recognizing they have physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. We work together as a team to meet those needs and to equip and support the families who are dealing with changing roles and often anticipatory grief.

It has been a joy to do this work. I have laughed and cried and offered hugs and prayed and learned so many fun facts and met so many interesting people. Saying goodbye is so hard. I have had the privilege of working along side so many amazing and dedicated people who feel called to this work. Together we have done it well. I will miss you and this good, hard work!