Being There

With aging grandparents, ailing relatives and family members in the final days of their lives, it has me thinking alot about people being there for one another. How many times have we heard (or maybe said) "I don't like hospitals", "I don't want to see them that way; I want to remember them the way they were". No one enjoys seeing someone they care about suffering or at their most vulnerable. But take a stroll through the halls of a hospital or long term care centre and you see hallways lined with the lonely shadows of our elders, slumped in chairs, or strolling in search of conversation or a smile. Then there are those who spend their days confined to their beds, dependent on the kindness of others for everything - even a simple drink of water.

It doesn't seem right to me that people who are not alone - end up alone. For me it has always felt like an honour to care of people I love. It's a gift to be the one who gently combs the hair or washes the beads of sweat from a loved one - to be the one to offer a few moments of respite from their pain and discomfort. It fills my heart to overflowing, love washing over, healing a tender soul - and mine. These times are opportunities to make love an action word -- to love.

Being there. I hope I always will ...