free to be

Celebration of Life 4.20.06



Tonight was a first for me. Every year our hospice organization has an annual celebration of life—an evening where Hospice staff members are reunited with the family and friends of our hospice patients who have passed away over the previous year. I have listened to my co-workers talk about the significance of this event and after a night full of remembrance, I understand.

Tonight, I watched survivors gather together. For some, laughter now comes easily and the stories of their loved ones are ever present on their lips. For others, the ache is still so raw and fierce but they brave the night anyway because they crave the presence of silent understanding. I wish I could tell you the stories of the heroes that were seated all around me—and of those that they represented. They would be the true, albeit imperfect stories of love and forgiveness and strength.
Love far beyond description.

And for those whom we remembered: our courageous patients--our greatest teachers. What a privilege to have known them. With gratitude, always, for the eyes they’ve given us to see.