Learning more personally and professionally about the facts of life and death from a hospice patient with lung cancer ... living and dying in the moment ... Mary's great example for us, being open to Life, Eternal Life, Salvation ... "Breath of Heaven" ....
Pic: Public Domain - Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song) - Amy Grant
"Breath of Heaven," Amy Grant, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8_475FKJWQ
“Keith, can you take me out on a stroll for a smoke?” asked the hospice client who was diagnosed with end stage lung cancer.
“Well,” I replied, “I won't walk a mile for a camel, but I'll surely take my friend out for some fresh air! Let's see if we can find your lighter.”
“Yeah,” she said. “With you, there's always a lot of hot air around, so let's get out of here for awhile and just sit outside – try to keep quiet! Won't you take a smoke to help keep your mouth shut!”
How can I forget that encounter with a patient when I worked in the past as a Social Worker for an inpatient hospice?
The simple, lively and even professionally tailored bantering that can go on in the client-provider relationship can open the doors wide for clients to some deeper inner needs for sharing as one is face to face with approaching immortality.
As a profession, I learned more from encounters like above than any book knowledge had taught me.
Sure, the “Little Blue Book” (“Gone From My Sight”) by Barbara Karnes can be a great helpful tool for enhancing the relationship between both clients and professionals in grappling with death and dying concerns, but there's a “priceless and immeasurable blue book value” to one-on-one communication!
And having a “Floyd Nightengale, RN” (Trygve) to mentor from in that setting was incredible – he showed me so many dynamic ways on how to integrate a holistic approach to engaging clients, especially terminally diagnosed ones, and their loved ones.
Earlier in my career as a Hospital Social Worker, I was inspired by an LCSW colleague, Carlo, who also had a wonderful way of providing informational visits to clients and families considering hospice alternatives. This led to me to write a song, “Let Go, Let God;” here are some of the lyrics.
“You bring comfort to us in need
Death and dying can test our creed
You touch our very hearts
And help us to start
To share our true feelings in-deed
Let Go, Let God ….”
And how can I forget during those hospital work days my first encounter with Dr. Susan in a family conference with a terminally diagnosed patient? “When the angels come to naturally take your mother at the appointed time, do you want us to stop them?” she noted.
Earlier in my career, when I had to face hospice concerns for my own family, I had to be reminded and prodded that while I may have a Social Work degree, I firstly have a degree in humanity! As we say in our health related fields, doctors, nurses, social workers, etc. make the worst patients!
So in life, we take each breath
Not knowing the one before death
As Jacob, we're constantly wrestling with the Lord
Who longs to bring us peace, make us restored
To be or not to be? Hamlet remindeth.
"Breath of Heaven," Amy Grant, chorus:
" ... Breath of heaven
Hold me together
Be forever near me
Breath of heaven
Breath of heaven
Lighten my darkness
Pour over me your holiness
For you are holy
Breath of heaven ...."
Keith John Paul Horcasitas, 1133 Knollhaven Drive, BRLA 70810, horcasitas.yaho.com, October 3, 2020.
This book consists of a 150 pages of Christian poetry about the end of time and the Second coming of Jesus Christ not as a servant but as a King, the King of kings. To bring righteousness and peace to the earth and restore the government of God! Peac
Pic: Public Domain - Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song) - Amy Grant
