Friday, Nov. 19

Up at 6:30, and did a treadmill session and resistance exercises after breakfast. Then did a few household chores, before getting ready to go to a Caring Hands Hospice awards luncheon at 11:30.

It was a very nice gathering of volunteers and staff. Lunch was salad and a choice of three kinds of soup...cheesy potato, taco, and vegetable...served in bread bowls. I opted for the veggie soup, of course, because the other two had yellow cheese in them. Dessert was mini cupcakes. Mother and I passed on those.

After lunch, each volunteer was presented with a pin, or a pin attachment declaring the number of hours served. Mother and I already have our pins, so we each got an attachment. The Caring Hands director spoke about how much the work of the volunteers is appreciated by patients and their families. She said that a handmade birthday card might be the only greeting they get on their day, and it makes them feel good that someone has gone to the trouble of creating something special for them.

One of the volunteers is a lady who owns a cake and candy making shop. This lady bakes and decorates cakes that she donates to hospice patients to celebrate their birthdays or anniversaries. I think that this is a very generous gesture.

One lady cooks meals for patients, while others just sit and visit with them. Today, a staff member said she would like to form a team of volunteers who could be called upon to sit with patients during their last hours, particularly with patients who have little or no family. This is a tough one. I don't know how many of us will be strong enough to brave it.

Our director read a piece about how the flight of geese is like human leadership (and volunteerism):

By flying in the V-formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. People who share a sense of direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of going it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are heading in the same direction as we are.

When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wing, and another goose flies point. It pays to take turns doing hard jobs, with people or with flying geese.

These geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
We need to be careful what we say when we honk from behind.

Finally, when a goose gets sick, or is wounded by gunshot, and falls out, two other geese fall out of formation and follow him down to help protect him. They stay with him either until his able to fly, or he is dead, and then they launch out on their own, or with another formation until they catch up with their group.

If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other, protect one another, and sometimes make new friends who seem to be going in our direction.

Another story she related was:

One day an elephant saw a tiny hummingbird lying on its back with its tiny legs in the air. "What are you doing?" the elephant asked.

The hummingbird replied, "I heard that the sky might fall today, so I am ready to help hold it up, if it should fall."

The elephant laughed cruelly. "Do you really think," he said, "that those tiny feet could help hold up the sky?"

The hummingbird kept his feet in the air, intent on his purpose, as he replied, "Not alone, but each must do what he can. And this is what I can do." ....Chinese parable.

Back home after the luncheon, we spruced the house a little for company tomorrow, and I made fruit salad to have with Saturday's lunch. Then Hubbie and I ran a couple of errands...first to the art gallery to tell the director that the newspaper article announcing our graham cracker cookie Christmas house workshop for Dec. 4 was misprinted as a "cookie making" workshop.

Then we went to check on a chicken dinner fundraiser to see if we could get three of the meals for supper. Unfortunately, the event ended at 2 p.m. So we stopped by a gas station to fill the van, and then went to a chicken restaurant to buy three takeout meals from their buffet.

Mother went home after supper, and we settled in front of TV. I checked my e-mail and learned from the Literacy Council director that I will not be working Monday and Tuesday with the Hispanic lady. Seems her former tutor has returned after her illness and wants to resume with the lady. So I am being assigned a new student, a 30-year old stay-at-home mom. So now I'll need to exchange my teacher's manual for yet another one. I haven't been told yet, at what level I'll be tutoring.