ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, April 6, 1997 TAG: 9704070012
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RUTH PARSONS
SERVING AS a care giver, trustee or public servant is a holy and sacred inheritance of the heart. Renits Weems, writer, professor and theologian, says, "We associate holy places with mountains, sanctuaries, rivers, pastures and quiet retreat centers. It is easy to discount the common, everyday sites where we actually live out our commitments to one another as likely places to entertain the holy."
Our society emphasizes public titles and monetary accomplishments all too often. Sacred acts of mercy and kindness are not exemplified enough on the front pages of our media publications, Web pages and infotechnology oracles.
I participated in a workshop recently that asked the question, "What have you inherited?" Sometimes an inheritance may be a blessing or a burden, as in the death of a loved one. Sometimes the process of claiming a gift is mysterious, daunting and unexpected. In the religious or spiritual realm, we often refer to this as "grace." Memory is a priceless gift and nothing can destroy it; it is within us always. It is important that we learn to appreciate the diversity of gifts and synergy each of us is genetically blessed with.
Today, we are seeing more people claiming the gift of care giving, commitment and compassion.
People who bestow authority on those they trust offer this sacred gift. Suzan Anderson of Roanoke, who specializes in living trusts, hangs a daily prayer list on her light switch in her office. She prays daily for clients, staff and the community. While waiting for my car to be serviced at the Honda dealer in Roanoke, I meet a registered nurse, who tells me she left her post at Community Hospital to care for her husband. My friend Susan Cain of Lexington returns home to enjoy the company of her parents and to oversee her mother's health needs. Recently, we attended the English Speaking Union on behalf of her family as a way of paying tribute to a family tradition.
In Indiana, hospice units are being staffed with registered nurses and volunteers who receive nurse's-aide training. Most of these volunteers have lost a family member or loved one to cancer, and it is a way they may give back to the program. Recently, while visiting my cousin, we were welcomed by these volunteers and presented with homemade banana bread and cream cheese. Gladys Ditsler, my cousin's bridge partner, takes us through the Assisted Living Pavilion where my cousin recently resided. She introduces us to Betty, the director, who graciously invites us into her office where she offers words of concern, care and solace. Extending one's heart and hand during a difficult time is certainly a holy act.
Unfortunately, many seniors do not have family members or friends to attend to their affairs as they age upward in this tapestry of time. A trustee, bank or law firm has great power in medical decisions and quality-of-life issues. Public advocates such as the Virginia state ombudsman are available to the elderly and the public. As health-care professionals, we need to impart to the public that an inheritance in representing our seniors is a holy and sacred gift.
Today my mother hands me a copy of the American Association of Retired Persons bulletin and the front page says, "Feds now recognize 'comfort care' for the dying." Ira Byock, M.D., president of American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine says, "medical concerns should ... to acknowledge the inner life of people and their families."
When articulating decisions, we need to act in the best interest of the individual, exemplifying a holistic approach. Michael Mead says, "One source of the word bless comes from the French, blessure, which means wound. One of the responsibilities for those who would rule, lead or mentor is to see the area and spot the blessed streak that suffered the wound."
RUTH PARSONS of Lexington is a certified retired-housing professional and Virginia-licensed nursing-home administrator with more than 16 years experience in ministry to seniors.
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: BARBARA CUMMINGS/L.A.TIMES SYNDICATEby CNB