Thursday, November 20, 2008

Home For A While

Tonight my mother in law is resting comfortably at the Hospice facility. My wife and I, and other family members, are at our homes. Earlier this evening the Hospice nurse who is caring for my mother in law recommended that everyone go home and get a good night's sleep because we all looked exhausted. She advised us that based on her experience death was not imminent and not likely to occur tonight. She said, "Get your rest while you can. You may not get it later". She promised to watch my mother in law closely and that she would call us immediately if there was a significant change in her condition. We all sensed she was a woman we could trust and that our mother was in good hands. We will all sleep at home tonight and in the morning we will take care of any personal needs before heading back downtown in the morning to resume our vigil.

Today I spent about six hours at Hospice. The same nun who was a chaplain at the time of my father in law's death is still there and was in my mother in law's room when I arrived. Later I ran into a priest I know. The two of us went into my mother in law's room and prayed for her. I'm not sure what my mother in law, a Baptist, would think about having a Catholic priest praying over her but we did it anyway. I was happy earlier in the week while we were still at Suburban Hospital when the nurse asked if we needed the hospital chaplain to stop by. My sister in law, Pam, pointed at me and said to the nurse, "We brought our own". If I am any spiritual comfort to anyone in the family, then I am happy to be used this way.

During a time when I was walking up and down the hallway, I prayed for all the other patients, their families, and all the caregivers. Working in a Hospice is a real ministry. For a few brief moments as I looked out the sixth floor window on the downtown landscape, I was happy to see snow flurries in the air.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Michael,

If this hospice is in old Methodist Hospital, that is the same place my father passed. Hospice is a blessed ministry. They will take excellent care of your mother-in-law, and your family. My prayers are with you, your wife, her sisters and their mother.

God bless you all.

Michael Brown said...

Yes, Steve,it is the same place.

Anonymous said...

Prayers for you.