I'm grateful to be back in the land of the living...

I have to agree with Eagle Hearts post #153070 above. Don't mean to copy her but she took the words right out of my mouth. She said it all! Except I would add that having the opportunity to meet and be accepted face to face by some of the wonderful women here was icing on the cake. I hope to be fortunate enough to meet even more of my BWS sisters one day. Its such a thrill to have a part of me in your homes keeping you snuggly and warm by way of my afghans. I wish I was able to send one to each and every one of you free of charge. Who knows, maybe one day...

Oh JJ, you've been on my mind, heart and in my prayers all day. I'm so glad to see you here! How are you feeling?

Thank you hon...I'm so much better. I've lasted almost ALL day today! Wuhoo!

JJ, I'm glad to see you back from your illness....not fun. The board is not the same without you!

Thank you LJ, it's good to see you here as well. I hope you are still loving your job?

I know...I've felt a little "removed" or disconnected from BWS for awhile....not sure if that's a good way to describe it. That's been a heartache for me because I'll never, ever leave this home away from home! I DO still love my job. I feel so priveleged. The down side is working all these weird hours. I did 2 days this week and tonight I begin another string of nights (11P-7:30A). Hopefully that will be changing in June to all days. Working in a Hospice is awesome. I love being there for the families as well as the dying. I feel blessed. As for my entry into the Gratitude Journal today...after the hardest winter in Maine that I can remember in a very, very long time, Spring has arrived!Yesterday it was 85 degrees (with little banks of snow still here and there), little green sprouts of my perennials are popping up.....life is good!!!! Today will be about 10 degrees cooler but sunny and so awesome (actually prefer the lower temps). I'll be out in it in just awhile. Again, I'm blessed!

How blessed the families are to have you surround them with your kindess and good heart. You were meant to be just where you are. Hospice was everything to us during Daddy's last few weeks and days, even hours. They are truly angels.

JJ, I also loved working hospice in the home. That was very special but I always felt crunched for time. When I so wanted to spend more time, my mind was going a hundred miles an hour thinking about my next visit and calculating how much time it would take me to get there. That was the down side of that for me. In the Hospice house, I can sit and hold a hand in the middle of the night, when the anxieties run so high. That's been important for me. I'm in one place for 8 1/2 hours and when quiet, I can really minister. I'm glad it was a positive side for you when you all needed it. Comfort and assurance for the families are equally as important. We usually have some family members that have moved right in and stay with the person all the time. It adds another whole dimension to my work, which feels, to me, more like a ministry.

As I think I've shared before, Daddy was in a VA home. I have four sisters and the five of us, plus our lovely young Hospice worker never left his side. We told stories of when we were young, and with five girls, there were plenty. We sang songs, spiritual and otherwise, played Dad's favorite song a lot, A Wonderful World, Louie Armstrong, and cried, laughed, hugged, shared, healed, and prayed. All together, almost like one person. This was including our Hospice worker. There were actually two of them, equally competent, yet we never knew till much, much, later, they were Mother and Daughter. HOW SPECIAL! My Mom was battling chemo at the time for breast cancer so it was even more difficult on some levels.

The thing about Hospice is they are there, yet when you don't want to know they ARE there, and WHY, they can seem invisible to the family. Yet, when you want to turn to them and cry out WHY! WHY! They are there immediately by your side. It is a gift. They have some sort of "built-in" sense for this job. I'm sure of it. It isn't a job to them, it is a heart's commitment. God has a special place for them in Heaven.