“There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.”
-Ecclesiastes-
“A time to cry”
On the way to the office this morning, I noticed a flag on a building flying at half staff. I’m not sure why this was, but it aptly reflected my pensive melancholy this morning.
Usually, I am able to maintain a sense of equanimity, but today I think of our two long term residents who passed away this week. They and their families were beloved to all of us at Regency and we join in mourning their deaths just as we celebrated their lives.
At Regency Nursing Centers, we don’t simply care for our patients and residents, but develop a love for them as well.
Mark Benedek, Administrator at Regency Gardens in Wayne, shared with me last night a speech one of his staff members gave to several applicants, where she highlighted the “4 C’s” that make up the fabric of the Regency philosophy.
They are: compassion, caring, commitment, and consistency.
Because we are so invested in our families, with the passing of our loved ones, our sadness is more profound and acute.
In my community, I am often asked to sing a special prayer at the funerals which I attend.
The prayer is extremely powerful and poignant. It invokes the ephemeral nature of our lives and always evokes tears and introspection. Sometimes, I have a difficult time getting through the piece without shedding a tear.
One needn’t be a religious person to understand that human beings do not exist in a vacuum during our short time on this Earth. We live amongst family and friends and we love as we are loved.
Our job is to leave this Earth a better place because of our indelibly positive impact and influence.
These two residents affected people in that way and therefore effected the reaction we all felt upon their passing.
Life is short.
Learn, Live and Love.
