Issue 40.14
“I love my life!” she gently whispered in response to my inquiry of how she was doing. “I love my life,” she responded a second time. The sincerity and depth of conviction in her voice surprised me. It made me stop and reflect on my attitude towards my own life.
The deep feeling of right here and right now vibrating in her voice impacted me. She went on to say how happy she was to be here in the care facility. She had nothing but praise and gratitude for the staff who cared for her and considered them as family.
This petite, frail, elderly lady was expressing love, joy and gratitude in the midst of facing her own death within a few weeks. Her magnificent spirit and appreciation for life filled the drab little room she occupied with light and peace. I could feel the tenderness and love radiating from her and enfolding me as we spoke.
I wasn’t the only person she had an impact on. The hospice nurse who visited her later in the week, found a feather on her bed! She asked her patient if she knew what that meant. “I’m divinely protected,” she stated matter of factly. The nurse explained it indicated the angels had come to visit her and were watching over her. She just smiled sweetly and nodded her head. A few days later she passed away peacefully, leaving us all touched by her loving and grateful spirit.
She left a little notebook in which she had written some of her thoughts that revealed the depth of her spirit. Her friends were kind enough to share some of her writings with me. Here are a few short paragraphs from this dear soul’s notes that reveal her spiritual beliefs and give us all something to ponder: “I am perfect as I am. Everything in my life is working towards my ultimate good. I am loved and I am love.”
“I am a child of God, a precious part of his kingdom which he created as part of Himself. Nothing else exists and only this is true, I am always safe. I was not born to die. I am spirit. When you meet someone it is a Holy encounter, do not leave before giving salvation and receiving it for yourself. Light does not attack darkness, but it does shine it away. Remember you cannot be anywhere except in the mind of God.”
This was indeed a holy encounter for me. Her words, “I love my life” still echo in my mind and heart. They make me more aware of the goodness of my own life and fill me with gratitude for all of life just as it is.
Rev. Luigi Persichetti is the chaplain for Southern Utah Home Care and Hospice and retired Unity minister from Unity Center of Positive Living in St. George. To learn more about Hospice services, call Debbie Cox (634-9300) or Lisa Ross (635-9300) in Hurricane.