Unexpected Life Lessons

    During this Thanksgiving season I cannot help but write a post about a special little elderly lady who has touched my life without realizing it. I am grateful for her and her example to me. She is on hospice and only has a limited time before she leaves this life. But she has taught me many things in the few months that I have been privileged to get to know her. Each time I visit she greets me with a smile and makes me laugh throughout the duration of our visit. She always sings old tunes and refuses to tell me the depth of the agony and pain she must be experiencing. When I ask her how she is feeling she says "Hmm...How do I feel?? Well, I feel with my hands." with a smile and little chuckle. She chooses to smile and she chooses to be happy despite her painful circumstances. I admire her for those incredible qualities. She has just celebrated her 97th birthday. She has outlived her spouse, siblings, and some of her own children but has lived a good life. The walls of her room in the facility are covered in pictures of family and sayings like "I love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck". While I haven't known her long, I have come to know that she has lived a full life where she has impacted many others with her happiness, words of kindness and smiles. She values her family and loves them more than anything. In those moments when we visit she isn't telling me life stories about trips, money or material things she loves, she shares stories of her family and memories with them. I love this lady and am so happy and grateful for the life lessons she has helped me understand more deeply.    

     It has been a unique experience to volunteer for hospice, but one I appreciate being able to be a part of. Besides assisting the dying and their families with whatever they need, they help me in return as well. The help they give me goes unseen, it is a mental and spiritual process deep within me. I have been able to see life from a different perspective and it oftentimes leads me to question my path I am walking on life. Are my priorities in the right place? Am I choosing to smile each day? Do I truly appreciate my family, love them and do I let them know? Life is short...what type of impact am I making on others? I know I will never be perfect in this life, but I can always improve little by little. The people I have been able to meet through hospice have helped me see things I need to work on to become a better person. Each of these individuals I have met through hospice are great people. They have each touched my life in a special way and I love each of them. I am very grateful for them and what they have taught me. They have lived and live a life of example and I hope one day I can look back and know that I did the same.

     During this holiday season (and every other season in the year besides November and December) I hope that we can all find a deeper gratitude for our family and friends. Each individual has the capacity to influence others for good and make a lasting impact on them. I hope that we can reach out to those who do not have family and who are in need of company and invite them into our homes (or visit them in theirs) and love them and get to know them. Life is a very short trip, and it is important to remember that we are all in the same boat and need to lift and encourage one another and notice those who need a helping hand and someone to love them. Choose to smile, choose to give, and choose be grateful. 

    Life is a beautiful, limited gift, choose to make the most of it by doing good around you. 

    Happy Holidays to all of you.