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[Jon Egger]

Sistah Sally said:

"I bless this time to you Jim, and Marcy, and Matthew, as a time of enabling
grace and abiding peace and holy rest."

A million AMENS!!!

I have no words, as a hospice recipient, to describe how much this means to
me.  Grace Hospice is wonderful for us, making everything easier.


Grace and peace,
brud

On Tue, Mar 22, 2016 at 12:07 PM, Marion Thompson <marionwhitevale at gmail.com
> wrote:

> Such wise words, Sally.
>
> Marion, a pilgrim
>
>
> On 3/22/2016 1:00 PM, Sally Davies wrote:
>
>> Dear Jim
>>
>> Thomas Merton's prayer may capture some of what you're feeling right now:
>>
>> My Lord God,
>>
>> I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I
>> cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself,
>> and
>> the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I
>> am
>> actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in
>> fact
>> please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope
>> that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I
>> do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about
>> it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in
>> the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you
>> will never leave me to face my perils alone.
>>
>> My understanding of Hospice care is that it is about quality of life...and
>> it seems that people often say that their one regret, later, is leaving it
>> too long to apply for Hospice care. In other words, hardly anyone says
>> they
>> went there too soon, but quite a few wish they'd gone sooner.
>>
>> So I pray that your sense of timing here is on track, that this is "the
>> right road though you may know nothing about it".
>>
>> I also have the sense, as we accompany you in spirit on this hard, hard
>> road, that the separation you and Marcy may now experience, could be
>> different but will not be worse, than the separation that has already been
>> at work when you have been exhausted, unable to cope, and Marcy has been
>> unable to understand. The anger, frustration and raw pain of those moments
>> brings about a profound kind of separation that outlasts the moment and
>> can
>> come to colour everything if given the chance.
>>
>> So...If Hospice is about sustaining a  better quality of life, that's not
>> for Marcy alone but for you as a couple. She cannot be said to have a
>> preferred quality of life, when you do not...and for you at this time,
>> staying connected to life requires some fairly specific things, like being
>> able to attend meetings every day.  Or just to take the time to breathe,
>> to
>> read, to be quiet.
>>
>>
>> I bless this time to you Jim, and Marcy, and Matthew, as a time of
>> enabling
>> grace and abiding peace and holy rest.
>>
>> We are with you and we love you
>>
>> Sally D
>>
>>
>> Tuesday, 22 March 2016, Ginga Wilder <gingawilder at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Jim, Marcy, Matthew, and you remain in my prayers.  I pray especially that
>>> the adjustment will be smooth, especially for Marcy and for you.  You
>>> are a
>>> loving caregiver for your wife and the move to Hospice center is sure
>>> evidence of that.  God hold you all close in this Holy Week.
>>>
>>> Ginga
>>>
>>> On Tue, Mar 22, 2016 at 11:18 AM, Marion Thompson <
>>> marionwhitevale at gmail.com <javascript:;>
>>>
>>>> wrote:
>>>> May this be the holiest of weeks for you and Marcy and Matthew.
>>>>
>>>> Marion, a pilgrim
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 3/22/2016 10:19 AM, James Handsfield wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Good day, everyone -
>>>>>
>>>>> Thank you for your continued prayers for Marcy, Matthew, and me.  Over
>>>>> the past couple of months, it’s become increasingly clear that I can no
>>>>> longer provide the kind of care Marcy needs, both physically and
>>>>> emotionally.  So . . . tomorrow, Marcy will become resident at Hospice
>>>>> Atlanta Center.  I’ll still be able to take her out to church, lunch,
>>>>> dinner, etc., and even bring her home for a few days (kind of reverse
>>>>> respite) for special occasions.
>>>>>
>>>>> Not how I’d envisioned Holy Week, but it’s for the best for all of us.
>>>>>
>>>>> -------------------------------------
>>>>> Education is its own reward, both for the individual and for society.
>>>>>
>>>>> Jim Handsfield
>>>>> jhandsfield at att.net <javascript:;>
>>>>>
>>>>> .
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>