Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Attending

I had the amazing gift of getting to sit with a person I did not know as she was in the process of dying in a hospital. It's part of a beauty-full program called No One Dies Alone. Volunteers sit vigil with the person during their journey out of the body.

My "shift" was from 3-6 a.m.
The drive to the hospital began the ethereal nature of the experience as it was extremely foggy...so much so that it was hard to see where I was going. Completely appropriate. Helped open and shape the holding I was about to undertake.
Once there, I sat quietly and did my best to attune to the person's energy...which was essentially what I did for the 3 hours...just tried to stay present and hold as big a space as possible...praying for her and her family...inviting relevant and benevolent energies to be with her...sending lots of love...listening to her breathing...feeling awed by the mystery of the dying process and the surrender inherent in not knowing...finding great comfort in that which permeates all of existence - body or no body.

time passed quickly...
i didn't feel particularly sad...but deeply content to share that space with another being...at home, actually.
and as I left the hospital I looked up to see a big, amazing moon shining down.

1 comment:

Gina Kelly said...

She was very lucky to have you there, this is amazing work you're doing.