Humor

The one thing about hospice workers is that we have a very interesting sense of humor. We have to! My colleague showed me this video and today and I was in stitches. It is an ad campaign from Australia about being safe around trains. I hope it brings you some humor today!

Finish line

I am heading toward the finish line. I had my last class last night and am finishing up my internship this week. It doesn't seem real! But, it is time to move on...to the next adventure!

Spring Creativity

I feel - once spring has really showed her pretty face - that I have a lot of creative energy. I have been playing in the yard a lot these past two weeks. It is certainly a lovely little oasis...

I moved the table and four chairs in order to make more space on the patio to chill; Stan likes laying by this chair...

I decided to try my hand at herbs along with bell and jalapeño peppers this year...we shall see...

A little sitting nook...

Hey, who are those little dudes in the garden?

Despite the late snow, I did end up with a few lilacs this year!

Another creative project I have been working on is for my Empowerment Practice with Diverse Communities class. My teacher is super cool and we could do anything creative for our final project. So, I made this art piece

The wording says "Empowerment begins with Humility and Vulnerability". Social workers aim to help clients and communities toward being empowered, and both traits are necessary-humility on the part of the social worker, and vulnerability on the part of the client. I did a tile mosaic along with layered tissue paper to represent the deconstruction of power systems as well as the complexity of power and powerlessness. It felt good to smash cheap plates and cups that I bought at ARC with a hammer...smashing the construct of patriarchy...Ok, ok...I will save it for the paper I have to turn in along with the art piece. I think I am going to give it to my teacher-but I haven't decided just yet : )

The Radio

I know as a social worker, humility is one of the foremost traits to have. It isn't about me, the social worker, and what I do...it is about the patient/client/family and how they may improve their lives. But, every once in a while, something that I do might make a person happy. And I think it is okay to take pride in that.

I was in a care conference for a patient with my team from hospice and the team from the facility where he lives. He had gone through a tough time recently, showing signs of depression from his illness, so our team rallied together and tried to figure out ways to improve his quality of life. He has very few possessions and I noticed he didn't have a radio. I asked him if he would like one and he said he loved music-turns out he played the saxophone in his earlier days. So, I went off to Target, bought him a little $20 radio, took it to him, plugged it in, and he jammed out to the jazz station as I was leaving.

In our meeting the other day, the nurse said that he just loves this radio. I guess he takes it with him wherever he goes, plugs it into a an outlet, and listens to the jazz station. She said she heard music coming from the front room in the facility and there he was, in his wheelchair looking out the window, with the radio in his lap. I suppose I find it heart warming to know that this little gesture has meant something to him, and I didn't just buy it for him because I felt like he needed music.

I am transitioning out of my internship as I prepare for graduation and I am going to miss the patients and my colleagues. It has been a really special learning experience for me, and there have been countless times a patient or family member touched my heart. The radio scenario tells me I am walking away having touched the heart of at least one patient.