CEO Message: February 2024

Dear Friends,

Winter in Northern California can be wild, as we have all seen this month. The only thing that is predictable is there will be a mix of rain, wind, as well as a few unusually warm, sunny days. I recall one of my first winters in California. I was bewildered, thinking I was leaving the cold and damp NY winters for the warm California sun!  Sometimes we think one thing is headed our way, when in fact it turns out quite differently.

The unexpected is also part of our close relationships. We may think things are moving along swimmingly and suddenly life shifts. It can be for good or bad reasons. Someone moves away, takes a new career path, or becomes seriously ill; the list is endless. We are jolted by major changes with the realization that we now must navigate a different path.  We may have thought we had all the time in the world and now we don’t.  We may have settled into a predictable lifestyle and now, that is turned around.  If someone is seriously ill, we wish for more time, different quality time, or the impossible wish–to re-do our time.

But we cannot re-do the past and there are invariably things we haven’t done or said that we wish we had. So, in this letter I am going to pose the question to our readers: What might it mean to each of us if we took the time to pause and let our hearts guide us, to look for something special in what may seem ordinary, and to tell the people we love how we feel? What if we made it a practice each day to take time to be present, take in a moment, and not be swept up thinking about what to do next?

Maybe, just maybe, there might be fewer regrets, fewer wishes to re-do the past. Maybe we will find more peace and comfort knowing that we took the time to make space for compassion and listen to our hearts. Maybe we would feel more equipped to manage life’s curveballs and feel more confident in our ability to cope, to get help, and to know to whom we can turn when we need support the most.

You might be wondering, what does this message have to do with Hospice Giving Foundation. One answer is that we work very hard to be here for you when you need support and guidance. We feel honored when you pick up the phone and ask for help or information. We believe the best way to live fully through end of life is to embrace the moments all through our lives.  We believe that finding time for meaningful conversations and tenderness with those you love will serve you well. This organization promotes preparedness and rich, honest discussions, all in the service of living fully through one’s final days.

Hospice Giving Foundation also suggests that as part of your preparedness, consider writing a letter to those you love. This February, maybe the best Valentine gift you can give yourself and others is to write that someone special a ‘Love Letter’, reflecting your gratitude and values. Your letters can be the time to say The Four Things That Matter Most¹ in healing and strengthening relationships: “Thank you, I love you, I forgive you, please forgive me.”

With gratitude and affection,
Siobhan Greene, President/CEO

¹ Ira Byock, MD. The Four Things That Matter Most: A Book About Living – 10th Anniversary Edition.  Atria Books – Simon and Schuster | June 2014