Sunday, December 26, 2010

Caregiving and Hospice, December 19 - December 25

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Understanding and Managing Grief, December 19 - December 25

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Coping with Pet Loss, December 19 - December 25

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Monday, December 20, 2010

During the Holidays and Beyond: Wishing You Enough



Dear Ones,

This story came to me over the Internet one day.  I've since learned that it was taken from a piece originally written by Bob Perks, and it is reprinted here with his permission.  I hope it touches your heart as it does my own:

Recently, I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together [at a regional airport.] 

They had announced her departure and standing near the security gate, they hugged and he said, "I love you. I wish you enough."  She in turn said,

"Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Daddy."

They kissed and she left.  He walked over toward the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?"

"Yes, I have," I replied.  Saying that brought back memories I had of expressing my love and appreciation for all my Dad had done for me. 

Recognizing that his days were limited, I took the time to tell him face to face how much he meant to me.

So I knew what this man was experiencing.

"Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?" I asked.

"I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is, the next trip back would be for my funeral," he said.

"When you were saying good-bye," I asked, "I heard you say, 'I wish you enough.' May I ask what that means?"

He began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone."  He paused for a moment and looking up as if trying to remember it in detail, he smiled even more.  "When we said 'I wish you enough,' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them," he continued and then turning toward me, he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory:

"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.

"I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.

"I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.

"I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.

"I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

"I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

"I wish you enough 'Hello's' to get you through the final 'Goodbye'."

He then began to sob and walked away.


Dear readers, this is my holiday wish for you:

Whatever is beautiful, whatever is meaningful, whatever brings you peace, may it be yours this Holiday Season ~ and may it be enough to sustain you throughout the New Year.

Wishing you peace and healing,
Marty
 ~   ~

You may be interested to learn that Bob's beautiful story has been expanded into a book by the same title.  You can read Amazon's description and reviews here: I Wish You Enough: Embracing Life's Most Valuable Moments, One Wish at a Time.


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© by Marty Tousley, RN, MS, FT, BC-TMH

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Caregiving and Hospice, December 12 - December 18

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:
  • High tech, intensive care is a poor substitute for emotional fulfillment at end of life,  

Understanding and Managing Grief, December 12 - December 18

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:
  • The Widdahood: New social support site for anyone who's lost a significant other,

Coping with Pet Loss, December 12 - December 18

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Caregiving and Hospice, December 5 - December 11

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Understanding and Managing Grief, December 5 - December 11

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:
  • The Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting Service this Sunday, Dec. 12, 7 pm local time,
  • Wonderful! we LOVE each other: a healing journal for grieving children, by Julie McLellan-Mariano

Coping with Pet Loss, December 5 - December 11

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:
  • Losing a beloved pet: 3 H's of Coping with Holiday Grief, by Laurel Lagoni, MS

Monday, December 6, 2010

Worldwide Candle Lighting Service, 2010

Held annually the second Sunday in December, this year on December 12, 2010 at 7 p.m.The Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting unites family and friends around the globe in lighting candles for one hour to honor and remember children who have died ~ at any age, from any cause. Candles are lit at 7 p.m. in participants' own local time zones, creating a virtual 24-hour wave of light that moves from one time zone to another throughout the world.  Hundreds of thousands of persons will join to commemorate and honor deceased children in a way that transcends all ethnic, cultural, religious, and political boundaries.  Formal candle lighting events are held in public venues, and informal candle lightings are conducted in private homes, as families gather in quiet remembrance of children who have died, but who never will be forgotten.

You're also invited to visit TCF's national Web site on Sunday, December 12 to leave a message in their Remembrance Book. Although messages can only be added during this day, the Remembrance Book will be left open throughout the year to enable visitors to read these touching messages from around the world.  You can join in the Online Support Community during its extended Worldwide Candle Lighting Hours. 

Find a Worldwide Candle Lighting Service in your own community here: 2010 Annual Worldwide Candle Lighting Services, or visit the Compassionate Friends/USA Facebook Page.  For information of any type related to the Worldwide Candle Lighting, write nationaloffice@compassionatefriends.org or call 877-969-0010.

Songwriter and ASCAP award winner Paul Alexander wrote the music and lyrics for Light a Candle, a song of remembrance that has been used to enhance thousands of such memorial services.  Listen to the song and find the lyrics here:

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Caregiving and Hospice, November 28 - December 4

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Understanding and Managing Grief, November 28 - December 4

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:
  • How to Help A Child or Teen Cope With The Loss of A Loved One During the Holidays,  
  • You'll find links to dozens of helpful 'Coping with Holidays' articles here,  

Coping with Pet Loss, November 28 - December 4

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week: