"I wanted to send you a message this year, above all others, because the mission of Hospice has been so difficult to meet. We had always assumed that close community would be open to us, that we would always have touch to show our clients how we cared. We knew how vulnerable they were, but never thought that we could be agents of destruction just by showing compassion in a natural way. I may be the least qualified person to mention this, since I have had not active clients over the past eleven months, but I needed to acknowledge the dilemma that all volunteers have had to face, trying connect with our clients in new, more physically distant ways.
We have all been frustrated by the distance imposed to separate us from friends and family, but we could always console ourselves that everything would be better later; we would celebrate Christmas with them next year, doing our best to make sure that this Christmas wouldn't be their last. Of course there are no guarantees for any of us, but for those in good health that is a reasonable bet to take. But many of our clients don't have luxury; the expectations are reversed, that this is their last Christmas, and we can only send our prayers that both their hearts, and those of those volunteers caring for them, can be comforted.
Offering a Merry Christmas in the midst of adversity may seem incongruous, but this is when we need it most.
And wishes for a Happy, and Better, New Year."
Deke