A Requiem to the Vitality of Life

Book excerpt: During two of the most difficult seasons of her life, Echo's family was blessed by the care provided from hospice teams. As a result of those seasons, that care, hospice became her calling, and she joined a nonprofit organization, first as a volunteer and then as their chaplain. It is through her observations over several years and the collective presence and ways so many chose to live out their life or to caregive and support another human being as he or she finished their time here on earth that she came to a better understanding of the vitality of life. She said, "It's them and their stories that I shall always be grateful for and remember. This then is a collection of reminiscences about the process of not only living out but finishing life that's been humbly recorded in prose and poetry in their honor." Heaven awaits after the winding and dangerous road of untold suffering, unanswered questions, unmet dreams, and unfulfilled hopes. "Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine. Grant them eternal rest, O Lord."