Hospice Angels

I don't believe in heaven or angels. I believe in the earthly angels. I've met them many times. The best ones work for hospice.

On this mother's day our hearts are heavy. Tonya's mother died April 23. She was in a hospital bed in the middle of our living room. Facing a wall of windows looking out on a yard full of daisies and beautiful green things.

What a lady she was. Always had polished fingernails, always dressed in fine clothes.

She decided it was time to die. She said so. She said she was ready. She talked to the hospice nurse like she was planning a business deal.

We watched her slowly letting go, giving directions to her children, look there for this, look there for that, be sure you check on this.

I saw a slight hesitation as she opened her mouth for her first dose of Ativan and Morphine to ease her pain and difficulty breathing. We kept her comfortable and clean. She left us like a lady.

Wow! If we could all choose to go like that wouldn't we? Shouldn't we?

A family sent a loved one to the ER with respiratory distress. I watched as he struggled to breathe. I watched as he was intubated and put on a respirator. Not good. Traumatic, intrusive, so sad.

Hospice is the way to do this. The angels come to usher us out of this life when we are ready. May we all know when that time is and may we let our families know what we want.

Happy mother's day Arlene. Here's to a strong and brave lady.