Celebrating Americans

It was the 4^th of July.  This is the day we celebrate being Americans.  But it seems to me that some people are more ‘American’ than others, and these people are called Veterans.  They deserve our thanks and our recognition. 

 A Chaplain with Hospice of the Upstate also serves in our Army National Guard, and he spent his 4^th of July visiting Hospice of the Upstate patients who are Veterans.  Wearing his dress blue uniform, he pinned an American Flag on these Veterans, and with inspiring words, he thanked them for their service.  Naturally, I flew along to watch and learn.

·         I saw men who served in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and Desert Storm

·         I heard boisterous stories from those who wanted to share their tales and their emotions

·         I felt the depth of those overcome with emotions that couldn’t speak a word

 Mostly, I learned that the face of patriotism takes many shapes, but it is always beautiful.  And that beauty extends to the families of soldiers who also made sacrifices, whether their loved one served in war or peace time.

 All day long, as I flew through the red, white, and blue of the 4^th of July, I kept hearing words like service, honor, and pride.  Our Veterans seem to have those things in abundance.  I think we can all learn a lot from our Veterans about service, honor, and pride.  I know I have.

Home Again!

I am a bird, as you know, who makes my nest at Hospice of the Upstate, and I watch the most amazing people at work! Recently, I noticed a good bit of commotion and talk of someone who wanted to go home. I’ve heard those words before. They are not uncommon. There seemed to be a bit more concern than normal, so I flew closer to watch and listen.

I heard them say, “Time is short.” Time is short? I thought time was the same, all the time. What did that mean? A nurse hurried to her car and I flew behind – following her to a local hospital in the area.

A patient was very near death in a hospital bed. The family told our nurse, “Dad wants to go home one last time.” The nurse answered, “Yes. We can help you.” A flurry of activity began to take place, and the focus seemed to be two-fold. One, to make sure this man was comfortable and two, to take him home right away because ‘time was short.’

Soon, I was perched on the window sill of this man’s home. A lovely place! I watched as our team of nurses worked to settle this man into his favorite familiar setting. The nurses worked quickly to make sure he was comfortable. Suddenly, it was as if he awoke! He looked about him and took in his surroundings. A peacefulness settled over him and the peaceful feeling seemed to flow throughout the home, touching the family and easing their burden.

And soon, he was gone. He had come home and now, he was gone. I understood. Time is short. Time is short for us all. Spend your time on the meaningful things.