Being Serious

I know, you read the title, and your little cursor went to hover over the X in the upper right hand corner. *laughter*  Seriousity [[Amziism I guess cos the spell check doesn't recognize it]] has its time and place.  And I think I'm going to work in a little Spiel.  And maybe a Tribute.  :D  But stick around, because there'll be Appeasement Pictures at the bottom of the post. :)

My Topic of Seriousity today is......  Hospice House.  If you've no idear what Hospice is, their wabsteid [[Scots :: website]] esta aqui.  I've been volunteering at my Hospice House for probably three years now, mainly in the summers.  I started out going with my grandma, but as time went on and these occurred, I ended up going all alone.  But not entirely alone (wait, that's the tribute...).  Anyhow, mainly what I do is play their GORGEOUS piano for an hour or so, and then traipse around the halls with my pixie harp, playing for various patients in their rooms.

I cannot possibly explain how much good Hospice House has done in my life.  I'm not allowed to disclose details about my experiences there, but I will say this ::

You learn things about death there.  And life.  And peace and happiness.  And love and joy and comfort and God.  And friends and servant-hearted people.  And about what's important, and what isn't.  

You become friends with people you would never come into contact otherwise.  It always surprises me to find out that other young people my age have never really come into tangible contact with death before.  Never been with someone as they're coming to terms with it, or as they're saying goodbye, or even after they've gone.  And so death scares them, or it's uncomfortable.  That's one of the beauties of working at Hospice :: that you see death and see how people come to terms with it, and you come to terms with it yourself.  For me, there is no fear, because I know where I'm going and that I won't be going until my work here is done.  And it's amazing to watch someone letting go, realizing that they're ready.  And there are tears, there are always tears, because there are beautiful things down here to say goodbye to.  But it's a wonderful process, and so encouraging to watch these dear people expressing such peace, and such joy at the small things in every day life.  The flowers.  The music.  Even the soup.  It's all so amazing, and they know it all of a sudden.

If you have to pick a time and place to encounter sickness, pain, and ultimately death, Hospice is the place to do it.  None of the trauma of a hospital room, or beeping sounds, or sterile smells, or anything like that.  It's just like one big home with one big family, and it's quiet and beautiful and unique in every way.

But you don't just learn from the patients.  You learn from the workers, the nurses, and the volunteers.  It takes a special type of person to go to work every day as a doctor or a nurse... in a place where no one ever "gets better."  Which brings me to my Tribute.  Today we had a surprise party for my dear Mr. R, who is retiring from volunteer work.  He was there when our House was built, and he was there when I started going, and he has been my Buddy and best friend for a long time.  I will keep these memories :: the way he enjoyed my playing, how he told me to call him when I go to Carnegie Hall, how he told everyone my age and that I'm a prodigy (and I'm really not), how he joked that he will be my agent, how he took me down to the rooms of the patients who love music, and helped me carry my books and instruments.  He's not going away, and we're making him keep his Volunteer Badge forever and ever, but it is a sort of goodbye.  Everyone will miss him.

I've had so many experiences there, valuable, priceless experiences, and I've come home in tears, and I've come home grinning from ear to ear.  It is the most wonderful place, I think.  *wipes eyes*  There, now I'm done. :)

I promised you pictures.  The lighting's HORRID these past two days, all cloudy and such, but I'm doing my best. ;)

You may guess that I'm going to give you the Update on my Alphabet.  I am proud to inform you that I only have to make M, W, and S, and then It Will Be Complete!  I sound like a mad scientist.  *insert evil laugh*  Look what I can spell!!

Haw haw.  That G worked up biggish, and dwarfed my smaller-yarned B.  Oh well. :)  Guess what else I can spell??

 Ha!  Weren't expecting that mouthful, were ya?  And now some weather pictures...  The tiniest bit of green is showing in the buds of the Friendly Twig, see?

It's just starting to push its way out of the scales!  Love that macro focus setting... :)  And if I zoom in real far, I can see another Green Thing from my window...

*Big Grin*  And lastly, a picture of a tree, because I love taking pictures of bare trees.  Something about dark webby branches against a light background.  Just the whole Dark-on-Light thing for me, I guess!

Have a great day!  I'm off to make some hot tea and make myself concentrate on something productive... yeaaaaaah.  :P

AMZi x x x x x

PS  Meant to add, thanks to everybody who's commented!  It's so exciting to find out in various ways, shapes, and forms, that my *gasp* BLOG is being *gasp* READ!  Cheers!!