Community

When you work in end-of-life care you learn something new each day. We learn from our patients and the people who love them, and we learn from everyone we work with. I am reminded often that I do not know it all, and I am not a solo act. We are a community, and I truly believe that our role is to lift each other up, support one another, and make space for the ones just starting out to feel safe and welcome. I enjoy handing over my tools, I want to inspire them, I want to build their confidence, and remind them of the beautiful work they are doing, and what a difference they are making in this world.

I like to share about the work I do with the Humane Prison Hospice Project because I find myself overwhelmed with feelings of complete gratitude that I get to be part of something so amazing. The incarcerated men at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville have been doing this work long before we walked through their doors, and they were doing it very well. I don‘t feel like we make them better, I feel like we let them know that they are being seen, which builds their confidence. We do add to their skillset, and we help them to understand the why of it all, but we also invite them into our community letting them know that are very, very welcome here.

I recently went to the graduation of the last group of men I got to work with. As one of the facilitators, I get to share this experience with other end-of-life workers who believe in elevating others, spreading the love and compassion for this work, and making sure that ALL human beings are being cared for as beautifully as they deserve whether they are in a warm cozy bed, in a home with family gathered around, in a facility where sometimes the only hand that holds theirs is a staff member, or if they are behind bars. All human beings deserve compassionate and heart-centered care when they are nearing the end of their life. I truly believe this.

At the graduation three of the men spoke about their appreciation for us and what we shared with them, but they also shared their journey, and how this work has changed them in many ways. They talked about what it feels like to be at the bedside of someone who is dying, how important this work is, and how they (and we) are constantly being reminded that one day it will be us in that bed. Several shared with me that they want to hand over their tools to the other incarcerated men who will one day do this work, because they know that it could be their own hand someone will be holding moments before they take their own last breath. They too are creating community, and they have learned that they are not a solo act, and they do not do this work alone.

This work reminds me of how important it is to support one another, to share your knowledge and experience with others, and to come together in a way that allows us to collectively make a difference in the way human beings are cared for. And I truly believe that if we do this well... one day the lessons we gift to someone else, will make a difference in the way we are cared for when our time comes.

We are a community. We do this work together, so that no one dies alone, so that we do not die alone.

xo

Gabby

To learn more about the Humane Prison Hospice Project: https://humaneprisonhospiceproject.org/