Director of Spiritual Care Jim Andrews
For much of our lives, we go through our days caught up in the experience of the moment. Enjoying a family gathering or worrying about a misunderstanding with a friend. Trying to get caught up with work, or looking forward to our plans for the weekend. Gathering up our determination to shed a few pounds or to finally get to that household repair we’ve been putting off. There are moments, however, when something breaks through the veil of these every day concerns. Maybe a near miss on the highway or hearing about an old friend who passed away unexpectedly. And for a little while, we realize on a very deep, very personal level that we are going to die and we have no idea if that is going to be sooner or later.
For those of us who work in hospice, we have many more of those moments than the average person. This increased awareness can illicit all kinds of reactions. Most always a deepened appreciation for the precious ephemeral beauty of our lives. But, if we are brave enough to really open ourselves up to those moments, to look with an unwavering gaze into the reality of our own mortality; even more profound insights await. The ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu talked about this deep realization over 2,500 years ago:
All things
rise and flourish
Then go back to their roots
Seeing this return brings true rest
Where you discover who you really are.
Knowing who you are, you will find the constant.
May we claim the precious prize that this work offers us: to know who we really are, to find the constant, to break out of a muted, mundane, everyday existence to see and experience things as they really are.
Have a great week, everyone!
Jim