Touching a Family

[Irene Smith]

One of the most beautiful aspects of providing massage in the home is the sharing of information and skill with the care team and family members of the client. I always welcome family, with my client’s permission, to be a part of the session either by observing or mirroring my movements as we massage together.If I can instill the confidence to touch, skills to touch therapeutically, and permission to touch then I know I have brought a sense of healing into the home; eased the helplessness that many times families experience, and have provided an avenue of tender communication that unites and heals what might be an uncomfortable silence at the bedside. Recently one such story came my way from a colleague and student, Elizabeth Holliday With her permission I pass the following story on to you.Every week Elizabeth goes to the studio apartment of her hospice patient who is a great-grandmother, Lucita. Sometimes Lucita’s daughter brings her two year old grandson, Pablito.” He watches me like a hawk,” writes Elizabeth.” He watches me doing quiet work with his great-grandmother, and more active work on his grandmother and the nurse, from seated positions in a kitchen chair.”Last time I saw him he watched me from the foot of the bed as I was finishing up with his great-grandmother. I gestured for him to come over. I showed him that I was holding the center of her hand. I showed him this spot on her hand, and on my hand. Then I took his hand, and showed him where it was on him. He then held that spot on his own hand, and looked at me with those familiar big eyes. I went back to my work. He stayed close by as I finished the session.”“Today”, continues Elizabeth,” when I went to my appointment, the little boy's grandmother was there. Before I left she said, "You taught Pablito something. Whenever I sit at my computer, he presses down on my legs the way he has seen you do. Also, whenever we visit Mommy he shows us all that spot on the center of the hand, and he holds her hand, just the way you showed him."I could feel Elizabeth’s heart as she wrote,”I thought my heart would burst. I'm so touched by this little boy, and by the great honor of being of service in the family home.”How sweet and ordinary this child is, to bring such innocence to the bedside of his dying great grandmother. His ability to love without fear and Elizabeth’s ability to share from her heart, brings a healing to everyone in the household. This is the essence of hospice massage.I thank Elizabeth for sharing this story and I look forward to you sharing yours.BlessingsIrene Smith www.everflowing.orgwww.everflowing.org

[Irene Smith]

yes. you might want to go to my website www.everflowing.org and follow the comments to this piece. one is quite beautiful. there are a couple of pieces you might want to reprint.

blessings irene smith

[HVTO]

May I have permission to reprint this on my blog? http://hospice.volunteertrainingonline.com