In the midst of the craziness that is life,there is always an element of calm,which is essential to deal with everyday problems.That is especially the case with palliative care.

Fall..."and when I fall let me fall like a leaf, gracefully"...each oak leaf, fallen from the tree, is like the death of one member of our community...gently floating to the ground, coming to rest, not spent... re-nutrifying the ground for the new season of growth...the connection with community continues...

It is wonderful to live in our society which has systems in place to support our journey from sickness to health. THE CALL is made to health professionals for diagnosis, hospital treatments and hopefully recovery. Sadly recovery may not be lasting or possible and we die. THE CALL is then made to the funeral industry. Without this vital connection to the practical, emotional and spiritual support of the community our needs would go unmet and our suffering compounded. THE CALL to connect with the community makes all the difference.

Moths are nocturnal creatures. They go largely unnoticed, but are always there, and rarely alone. With no conclusive reason why they are so drawn towards brightness we assume they use the light of the moon as a constant bearing to navigate. In it’s absence they adjust their course towards man-made light or otherwise. When they unexpectedly arrive at the destination they never actually intended to reach they remain stuck in an endless spiral, but they persist. Determined. They are graceful, fragile, vulnerable creatures, yet remain connected to their community of travelling companions, feeling their way along their journey.

Grief is a journey. It is an individual journey but also a community journey. We don't need to do grief alone but rather work with our grief so that we can turn our grief into something positive such as dancing. This is possible if we learn not only as an individual but a community to befriend our grief.

This photo I took last September of my Pop (91 here) and my dying father (61 here) highlights the solitude in the connection with community we felt while we cared for our dad. We always felt this through our family, friends, palliative care nurses and everyone who loved him.