I saw her in the shelter a few days before the following conversation took place. She had a flower in her hair and I remember thinking how much she really was like a flower. When she allowed herself to smile, to really smile, it was as if a tight bud was bursting into bloom. We exchanged a hug that night and I went about what I was doing.
The conversation took place a few days later while meeting with the shelter director. We were meeting to go over our presentation at this year’s National Healthcare for the Homeless symposium. I had been aware that this shelter guest had been hospitalized twice since that brief hug early in the week. Hospitalized, on life support briefly, then discharged and re-hospitalized on life support again, finally discharged a second time. It hadn’t sounded optimal.
She started the conversation by sharing her time at the woman’s bedside just before her second hospital discharge. A nurse had come into the room and engaged the woman; chastising her in a way that might only be described as “shame based care.” It was a salient example of the very reason we were approaching this national audience.
Our presentation would focus on “helpful being.” Illustrating ways to care for someone; who suffers from serious illness and chronically homelessness, which are driven out of deep compassion and awareness of our interconnectedness. In Africa we know this as “Ubuntu-I am because we are.” Our goal was to illuminate the possibilities in every encounter, to shine a light on the bud that can burst into a bloom with the right nourishment.
As the conversation dissolved into the room an image floated through my mind of the importance of each encounter. Each encounter we enter into holds the potential for a type of reciprocity and deep connection. I imagined the partnership that emerges between a bee and flower bloom. The flower radiates the light of beauty and life. The bee, a marvelous being, pollinating flower blooms, equally holds the power to sting.
I wondered how many more people would encounter this young woman and choose to nourish her instead of stinging her. I vowed to hug her the next time I saw her, nourishing her beauty and light. And I was grateful we would have a chance to take the podium and offer healthcare providers a new awareness of the opportunities each encounter holds.
Hospice Without Borders in partnership with Interfaith Works Emergency Overnight Shelter will be speaking at this year’s National Healthcare for the Homeless symposium. For a detailed summary of our presentation follow the link below:
https://nhchc.confex.com/nhchc/2016/webprogram/Session1073.html
Write a comment
Karol Engel (Friday, 03 February 2017 04:03)
Ahaa, its pleasant conversation about this paragraph here at this webpage, I have read all that, so now me also commenting here.
rush my essay (Thursday, 02 November 2017 05:16)
We all trying to get the amahoro house for having more opportunities. Then we will get deep connection in each moment with out borders and thanks for given everything in this blog.
cheap essay writing service (Wednesday, 22 November 2017 05:42)
It's fortunate that I have gorgeous profile in informal community. The blog was absolutely incredible. Lots of extraordinary information which can be helpful in a few or the other way. Continue refreshing the blog, looking forward for more contents. Incredible job and keep it up.
Dentistry Writing Services (Thursday, 02 July 2020 03:58)
Dentistry Research Paper Writing Services have come up with Dentistry Writing Services for dentistry coursework writing service students in order for them to score straight A’s in their dentistry paper writing services.
https://researchpapers247.com/dentistry-writing-services/
Descriptive Essay Writing Services (Thursday, 02 July 2020 04:00)
The ultimate goal of descriptive essay help services is to provide Descriptive Essay Writing Services and descriptive essay services since descriptive essay writing help seekers lack time to complete their custom descriptive essay writing services.
https://researchpapers247.com/descriptive-essay-writing-services/
Health & Safety Writing Services (Thursday, 02 July 2020 04:01)
Online health & safety essay writing services are very difficult to complete and many students are always searching for Health & Safety Writing Services to help them complete their health & safety research paper writing services and health & safety coursework writing services.
https://researchpapers247.com/health-and-safety-writing-services/
Biological Science Writing Services (Thursday, 02 July 2020 04:02)
Finding the best biological science paper writing help and Biological Science Writing Services is not easy unless one is keen to establish a reliable biological science research paper provider & biological science coursework writing services.
https://researchpapers247.com/biological-science-writing-services/
History Essay Writing Services (Thursday, 02 July 2020 04:02)
It is important for history coursework writing service students to seek History Essay Writing Services from a reputable history research paper service provider for their custom history paper writing help services.
https://researchpapers247.com/history-essay-writing-services/
nick hebrew (Friday, 08 January 2021 05:53)
Such a wonderful information blog post on this topic allassignmentservices.com provides <a href=https://www.allassignmentservices.com/>assignment service</a> at affordable cost in a wide range of subject areas for all grade levels, we are already trusted by thousands of students who struggle to write their academic papers and also by those students who simply want <a href=https://www.allassignmentservices.com/do-my-assignment/>Do my assignment</a> to save their time and make life easy.
Hope James (Monday, 22 February 2021 01:25)
Acadecraft employs easy to use Rapid Authoring Solutions that enable professionals to create simple quizzes, interactive e-learning sessions, and proficiency in developing a wide variety of e-learning courses with no trouble and rapidly.
Know more: https://www.acadecraft.com/learning-solutions/rapid-authoring/