Grief is a part of who we are and we never want to hurry it; however, the holidays won’t wait – we need some help to survive them. Actually the holidays are grief – celebrating them includes laughter (joy), solemnity (hope), reflection (peace), and remembering (love). Utilize the holidays as tools of grief in helping you heal – by fully experiencing them. Don’t force the emotions, let them come… there will be all the tools we need in the different places, people, work we do, and attitude adjustment of the holidays to help us find meaning in them. So join with the Wisemen to find a star of meaning this holiday.
The Laugh of Santa Claus
Everyone is familiar with the hearty and joyful laugh (Ho-Ho-Ho) of Santa Claus. We all hear it in our inner selves and it wakes a smile. The ancient story which tells about Santa’s laugh heard the most joyful is this one: St. Nikolas lived during the most severe persecution of Christians. He was in prison for 8 years, at age 61 years old he was released – 1/3 his normal size from the torture he endured. His congregation sent their Archbishop away to rest in his favorite place – the site of the Nativity. He rested and prayed for the Empire. On Christmas Eve he was reunited with his good friend and old Roman soldier, Pericles. He gave Nikolas news so very appropriate for the time and place where they visited. He had been present when in Rome a light in the form of a cross appeared at noon day – Pericles saw it himself – Emperor Constantine professed publically his Christian Faith. Nikolas looked over the hills of Bethlehem and remembered the prophesy of Isaiah, “Kings shall come to your light, and the Gentiles to your brightness. The wealth of nations and people shall change their course and turn to you.” – “Just a little baby,” – and Nikolas laughed with the hearty joy laugh of St. Nick – “We are in Bethlehem and once again good tidings.”
It is good tidings when we stop to visit with, and fellowship with, a person troubled or worried or lonely – and the light of Bethlehem still shines through our lives to others in our fellowshipping.
Merry Christmas and share the news with each other,
Dr. Jimmy Braswell
Home Hospice Chaplain
Home Hospice Chaplain
PATIENT PAWS
There’s a special place in my heart for furry creatures. I can’t imagine our home without the love and companionship of our misfit crew of canines. They’re all rescues, but I am convinced God sent each of them to us for a reason… to make us laugh, to warm the bed, to alert us when strangers approach. And then there’s Stella. We rescued her with 10 puppies… each of them now have a great home. But Stella is training to become a Therapy Dog International therapy dog, hopefully to become one of our Home Hospice Patient Paws team members.
Many people in nursing homes and assisted living facilities once had the love and companionship of animals in their own homes. We hope our Patient Paws visits will bring back wonderful memories of animals long gone from their lives.
Recently Home Hospice volunteer Donna James and her 12 year old golden retriever Abby visited a local nursing home to provide attention, and perhaps to return the love of those who might otherwise have no one close who cares.
Donna says the experience was very touching.
“It made me so happy to see her (the resident) just reach out her hand wanting Abby to come towards her. Who knows the last time she was that happy. It was awesome.”
Animals have the potential to reduce stress, and heal our hearts… I am convinced of it! Please share your story with us by visiting us on Facebook at Homehospicewtx.com.
Dr. Jimmy Braswell – Chaplain
Those who research grief tell us that one of the six tasks of grieving is developing a new identity based on a life without the loved one we remember. The “Holiday” time of year is one when all the emotions and experiences of past, present and future come together to help us in the development of that new identity.
I’m very much an “eastern” Christian – more connected with eastern Christianity than west. The west emphasizes the crucifixion and resurrection, and even though they are very much a focus of Christianity, the Eastern Church focuses more on the Birth. I’m attracted more to Christmas than Easter and the reason is that because though Christ is resurrected and we glory in that, I am not yet resurrected. Christ has come in the flesh in the birth and lives with me know. The announcement to the shepherds is a passage of scripture that contains the themes of the fall holidays, and has created a new identity in us through the Emmanuel (God with us), living and manifesting His character in us now. We are a new species. We no longer fear or grieve with no hope – but are living identities of Christ’s body.
- “Fear not” – the real message of Halloween
- “For behold I bring you great joy which shall be to everyone” – the real message of Thanksgiving
- “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord” – the real message of Christmas
EVERYONE IS INVITED TO OUR 2013 BUTTERFLY RELEASE & FAMILY CELEBRATIONS
Please check out the times and locations for the upcoming Butterfly Releases and Family Celebrations.
Odessa – April 26th, 2-4pm, Globe of the Great Southwest
Big Spring – April 27th, 2-4pm, Dora Roberts Community Center
Midland- May 3rd, 2-4pm, Midland Center.
Andrews – TBD, 2-4pm, Pioneer Park Community Bldg
Also check us out online at https://www.homehospicewtx.com/event.html for other upcoming events!
Dealing with Grief
Grief is the dominate emotion of our lives. It is a natural part of our human experience but, as all emotions, needs expression. Its like a cleansing breath, catching our breath, a refreshing pause. We simply need to tell others our story as a part of a community of remembrance and we help heal each other.
This truth became especially evident during my work as Spiritual Director on a Walk to Emmaus. The experience of the Walk is already very structured, and carefully so, in order for the participants to experience refreshment spiritually. It works; a great experience. This particular walk I shared a grief experience during, and part of, a morning devotional. I was approached by several inpiduals who asked for a memorial service. Since adding the service was not part of Emmaus, we planned one during our break time. I was amazed to see, not two or three, but the majority of the participants coming to the memorial. We simply read scripture, each sharing their memory and lighting a candle. Tears flowed abundantly and their spirits were revived. I may do it every walk. It worked and helped enormously in their experience.
Take a moment, plan it, and go somewhere special and remember. Take a friend and tell your story, maybe light a candle and say a prayer. “Companion your grief” as Alan Wolfelt is so famous for teaching.
Chaplain Jimmy Braswell
Home Hospice
Home Hospice
From The Dean Koontz Novel “Odd Hours”
Grief can destroy you – or focus you. You can decide the life you shared was all for nothing if it had to end in death, leaving you alone. Or you can realize that every moment of it had more meaning than you dared recognize at the time, so much meaning it overwhelmed you, so you just lived, just took for granted the love and the laughter of each day, and didn’t allow yourself to consider the sacredness of it. But when it’s over and you’re alone, you begin to see it wasn’t just a movie and a dinner together, not just watching sunsets together, not just scrubbing a floor or washing dishes or worrying over the bills. It was everything, it was the why of life, every event and precious moment of it. The answer to the mystery of existence is the love you shared sometimes so imperfectly, and when the loss wakes you to the deeper beauty of it, to the sanctity of it, you can’t get up off your knees for a long time, you’re driven to your knees not by the weight of the loss but by the gratitude for the life you shared. And the ache is always there, but one day the emptiness won’t color your day or fill your heart, because to nurture the emptiness, to take solace in it, is to disrespect the life you shared and the gift of the human heart.
Dean Koontz (Odd Hours)
Larry Hood Chaplain
Larry Hood Chaplain
Songs of the Times
A song from the late 60’s recently got some airtime on our local radio station, and listening to it immediately transported me back 40 years in time – to a school dance at Nimitz Junior High, Odessa, TX.
The tune and the words (Roberta Flack, “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”) brought back the memory of my first slow dance with Lane Etheredge, a raven haired beauty way too wonderful to be dancing with me. But she did. It was great. She may not remember, but I will never forget!
About the same time of that dance, my family was connecting to Lutheran Church of the Risen Lord – the “Touchdown Jesus Church” on Grandview Avenue, Odessa, TX.
The tune and the words of a Christian hymn sung often by that congregation of forgiven sinners (one new to our Methodist ears) has stuck with me to this day. It was written in 1719, by Isaac Watts.
A particular verse of that old hymn comes to my mind every time I hear of someone’s dying or death. Family, friend, complete stranger, it doesn’t matter who, but it does matter that I always remember these words:
Time like an ever flowing stream,
Soon bears us all away.
We fly forgotten, as the night
Comes on the end of day.
Some songs take us back in time. Others help us forward into eternity.
Both are gifts from a gracious God. Both are worth the listening, especially during the season of Christmas.
Hilton Chancellor
Home Hospice
Home Hospice