In Service,There’s Always A Touch of Grace

Life follows a logical sequence. We learn how to live joyfully as children, evolve into adults who teach others, become role models to friends and family, and eventually grow old and look back on our lives. We seek meaning and purpose in all that we have experienced. As we age in place, we hope to say, “I have lived well.” 

We need to honor the loved ones that have lived long and sacrificed much. Know that the fight is not always a literal one, but a series of hard choices made by each of us. We need to honor the loved ones that have lived long and sacrificed much. There are people we each have helped in our lives through acts of kindness.  

In service, we care for others, expect nothing in return, and then receive a touch of grace. 

We can each learn to care more for others. As life ends, difficult memories become easier to share. Service in love for our children, communities, and faith is often overlooked and forgotten.   

We grow older and may someday find ourselves alone with a caregiver in our house. There are stories and acts of service that those around us should hear to help us let go. However, our families, those closest to us, are often unprepared to listen. Prepare yourself, hear the acts of service; good or bad, the time to share has arrived; the time is now at the end of life. Celebrate their memories no matter how difficult. 

As a caregiver who seeks to live a life of service, “I reflect.” Listen to the stories. Acknowledge love shared and those missed opportunities. Recognize it’s an honor to be there for one’s passing and to hear their thoughts, guilt, acts of service, and kindness. 

Prepare to hear those old memories and missed opportunities of those we love and cherish.  

A silent recognition comes from holding a loved one’s hand as they pass away. We need no words, just a touch, a person to understand what another is going through. Blessed are those who recognize the simplest things in life that bring peace and gratitude to others as we share and are present during a loved one’s passing. 

Providing care for our loved ones as they age in place – FirstLight 

Boyd A Lowry, Owner of FirstLight in Glen Rock, NJ