Years of hospital and hospice chaplaincy have persuaded me to go against instinct and always be prepared to listen to those who want to talk about "when the end comes". Be that funeral planning or messages to be passed on or discussions of what next. There may not be another opportunity for all sorts of reasons to reschedule a conversation of such import.
But what if we gave the same attention to all our conversations? What if we saw them all as unique, as opportunities to practice divine listening and attentiveness? How would that change our relationships and even our encounters with strangers who just might be angels in disguise?
One thing I do know is that many of those conversations have been full of grace and humour - life-enhancing rather than life-limiting.
Liz, this blog entry is included in the February 2010 edition of Palliative Care Grand Rounds, hosted this month by the Alive Hospice Blog. PCGR is a monthly round-up of compelling blog entries about hospice and palliative care and grief matters.
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Thank you for sharing such poignant insights that we can all relate to. Death and dying are hard to process, but your willingness to delve into this subject matter and your openness will be helpful to many! Thank you for that.