I came here thinking that I was giving, but I ended up receiving.
For three years I have been serving in the hospice world. I wasn’t sure where life would take me next but I was compelled to give back. My time, my support and my experiences. Most of us all have experienced loss, whether we were impacted directly or know someone who has lost someone, it is inevitable. I’ve experienced loss directly and it compelled me to volunteer at my local hospice.
There is a large misconception that hospices are extremely sad. In truth, there is far more joy and peace in a hospice than I have experienced anywhere else. I guess when your reality changes and your days become numbered you realize how important it is to value and cherish every moment left. I think we should all face life with that perspective. That every second it bares, holds value and although we don’t know what lays ahead for our lives we do know that it can be taken from us whenever it decides.
I started volunteering in a bereavement group for children at my local hospice. Yes, a hospice serves all ages, even those who are not at their end of life. Grief and death are sisters and it affects not only the individual but those around them. Some children lost a parent, some lost a sibling but in each case there was pain behind their story. Each child responded differently to the activities I led and group discussions took a lot of time for the children to feel comfortable to share. By the end of sessions, those children taught me that death can appear at any age and we will all be affected to some extent but it doesn’t mean that we can not look back at our memories and smile at the good times. I thought I was giving to these children, but I ended up receiving so much love and wisdom from them.
Written by Vanessa
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