A Holy Moment

I've been doing hospice work for a couple of years by now. By "work" I mean I'm a volunteer who mostly visits the dying in their homes whether it be a nursing home, assisted living facility, apartment, or single family dwelling. The purpose of my visit is to . . . visit and sometimes to provide respite for the caregiver. Often I give a lavender oil hand massage or read to a patient or listen to music together. Sometimes I spend a couple of hours at Casey House, the in-treatment facility of Montgomery Hospice. It was there that an amazing experience unfolded last week. I was playing the reverie harp for a patient who was very "close" as they say in hospice. A few family members were present. Soon they were joined by another six or seven family members and by the hospice rabbi. Clearly they were gathered for prayer and goodbyes. I asked the rabbi if I should leave but he assured me that I should stay and continue play the harp. The rabbi then proceeded to talk with the family, to encourage them to reminisce about the patient. There were tears all around, but also laughter. It was evident that this was a close-knit family and that the patient had been well-loved. Finally, the rabbi asked for his Hebrew name and offered a blessing. The family was so appreciative of him, but also of me. I felt blessed to have been part of this truly holy moment.