Saying what is important

This is a short story about saying what is important and not waiting. Several years ago I needed to help my mother move from the Isle of Man and while I was there I went to visit a neighbour in a hospice. Maggie had terminal cancer. I had never visited a hospice before and was a little nervous, but mostly curious. What a wonderful place it turned out to be! Everyone was kind and friendly. The surroundings were beautiful, the staff seemed really awake, conscious, caring and the thought came to me ‘why are we so gentle and genuine with people who are dying?’

It isn’t that I think that we should not be gentle, kind, genuine- it’s that I don’t understand why we are not like that all the time to everyone. We mostly tend to wait for a special occasion to demonstrate our heartfelt concern and love. Maggie was encouraged to share her dreams, her passion, her accomplishments and her laments – all of them posted on newsprint on the walls for everyone to see and share.

This is intimacy. This is the real “goods” and personally, I want to know those things about everyone I meet. And I want to share those things about myself too. Don’t you?

Maggie passed away shortly after my visit and I will always be grateful that I had the opportunity to visit her, to tell her what an incredible influence she had had on the planet and to say goodbye.

My task continues is to say what is important to everyone in my life – no matter what.