I am excited about this Blog. If anything it will be good therapy for me. I just hope I don't bore my readers. I am in the process of finishing a second book called Resilient Hearts. It is a story about a Palliative Care Team and what they encounter as part of their job, how they interact with patients, families, and each other; and how they are able to find the emotional energy to continue working with the dying and terminally ill.

My greatest hope is that it will one day be made into a movie. It would be a very helpful teaching tool because healthcare staff need to know that when you care for the dying you often get more out of it than you give, and it is one of the rare moments in life when you are in the presence of truly unselfish love.

I think some nurses shy away from caring for the dying because they have seen too many horror movies. Death should not occur in a dark room at the end of the hall. It should be bright, loving, and the tears should be mixed with laughter. The life of that dying individual should be celebrated.

There will never be a better time to make a difference in the lives of a family whose loved one is dying than when you show you value and respect their loved one, and it is often as easy a just placing a wash cloth on their forehead. I encourage any nurse to "Never underestimate the value of a wash cloth."

Well gotta work on my book.