Family, Friends & Laughter

I feel grateful to have begun my New Year surrounded by family, friends, laughter and conversations about what we were grateful for in 2017 & what we are looking forward to in 2018.

December of 2017 I had the honor of spending time with the Wolfe family at Hospice By the Sea in Boca Raton. It was a privilege to be a part of a journey with my best friend Donna & her family as her sister Heidi fought the last of a 9 year battle with cancer. There were tears & hugs, sad and happy moments. Heidi's friends and family visited from all over, as we watched her holding on to her grace, dignity & humor. I did not know Heidi well, but came to know her and the legacy of her friendships, the love for her dog, her travel adventures , a dedicated employee, a brilliant engineer, and a bargain shopper. Heidi was a daughter & sister who held on fiercely to her independence so as not to burden her family. In her final days I saw a surrender, a letting go, eyes opened, a smile, a tear.

I have admired Heidi’s family for 26 years, for their closeness and dedication to one another. Heidi had lived & ended life surrounded by family, friends & laughter.

So as I say goodbye to 2017 and

welcome 2018, I realize this experience has moved & inspired me to take a Grief Counseling Course & to volunteer at Hospice so that I may give back. I have experienced many losses and look forward to being the supporter, holding hands, or whatever it takes to comfort someone on their journey or to ease the loss of a loved one. This is my journey. It enlightens me to move forward on my path.

May 2018 surround us with the gift of how special life is. Be kind to yourself as you move forward in setting goals & resolutions and look for what makes you positive. Take small steps & be grateful for your journey and remember to surround yourself with family, friends and laughter.

What makes you feel like you are moving forward?

By: Debbie Glickstein