Last night, I got to be a nurse again!  It’s been several weeks since I worked the care area at Clarehouse, and with a sick call last night from one of our nurses, I was the fill-in.  As I was making my first round of the evening, I spent time in every room, visiting with our guests and their families.  It is difficult to explain how very special that time was, and always is.  People are always so grateful and affirm our vision as the perfect solution to their need.   It’s awesome to hear how Clarehouse makes a difference in these very difficult life experiences.

On a personal level, my nurse time is rejuvenating.   As I lean in to conversations about dying and suffering or dogs and flowers, I reconnect with my center.  The noisy clamor of the world goes away as I dwell in moments in time that will never come again.  I rediscover my secret to nursing passion – it is in these moments of pure attention to another human being that my being is restored and fed.

What feeds your soul?

Kelley Scott

Happy Friday to you all! I want to shoot a quick message to you to express my gratitude for this place we have created together. June was a very busy month, with an all-time high in our number of guests – 32. July is shaping up much the same. It is the ninth day of the month and we just finished our ninth admission. And, it is the reality of what we do, – we assisted with an equal number of deaths. So much living; so much dying; it is the rhythm of life at Clarehouse.
 
Lucy, pictured here, is a pet therapy dog who visits weekly to share her unique canine love and comfort. Earlier this week, I was sitting out by the chapel in the afternoon and saw a family come out to the labyrinth, remove their shoes, and walk barefoot together along the path. Yesterday, a hospice nurse came to visit one of her patients who is living here, and asked to spend time alone in an empty bedroom 9; quietly saying goodbye in her own way to another guest who had died earlier that morning. And last night, committee members here for a meeting were mesmerized by the awesome flow of water; watching the creek overflow its banks during the rain.
These are images from daily life at Clarehouse, and I treasure bearing witness to each one. It is a privilege to work in a place that inspires gratitude at every turn. Thank you for being a part of the rhythm.
Kelley