Suncoast Hospice Director of Spiritual Care Jim Andrews
Many of you may have had the opportunity to meet our colleagues and friends from Hospice Wits in South Africa who were visiting for two weeks and just returned home. My interactions with them were inspiring, to say the least, and I am not alone in that experience. So, for our MMM this Monday, Karen Davis-Pritchett, Director of Provider and Community Relations, gave me permission to share a message she sent to her team which includes an original poem. Thank you. Karen!
I think the word of the week is unpredictable. You can make plans and goals and then SMACK right out of nowhere a situation happens, whether it is personal, professionally, locally, internationally, politically, etc.
Bloop, there you are, I know it sounds cliché, but you find yourself at a crossroad… deciding which decision to make, what reaction to express, what behavior is warranted or if you can stay there at the crossroad, stuck. I was moved by the words of Penny from HospiceWits when she shared the story of how she and her coworkers decided that they were going to do whatever was necessary to open up their GIP unit again for their patients. Currently, they cook food for the patients, launder the linens, clean the facility, in addition to all of their other clinical duties for patients that are not in the GIP unit. Penny said, some days she is working 17 hours a day. The HospiceWits staff continue to show an incredible amount of selflessness, perseverance, love, resilience and compassion for their patients, families, community and country.
They were at a crossroad and they had to decide, and they did! What would have happened if they just stood at the crossroad waiting? Our crossroads may not mirror those of HospiceWits, but each one of us will have our crossroad moments, either professionally or personally? At that moment, you will either stay there or muster the courage and fortitude to continue the expedition. I hope that in those moments you are reminded of your strength, intellect, purpose and talent. Then you will shake off the shock and move victoriously through the crossroad.
“The Crossroad”
Standing in stillness
Saturation of whys and fear
I am at a crossroad
Left, Right, or nothing
Pulling strength from my soul
Compassion is overflowing
My brain engages
I am at a crossroad
Resilience moves my feet and
Compassion my hands
A reserve of Energy spills into my being
I am no longer at the crossroad
I am moving
I am succeeding
I am bigger than the crossroad.
– Karen Davis-Pritchett
