| I am in wonder at the powerful Christmas spirit. It has the effect of opening hearts and wallets. However, on a recent visit to a large department store I noted the copious expensive decorations and contrasted this with the lack of staff employed to be helpful and the suffering of so many refugees. I watched with interest the ABC TV program which questioned if a person could live on social welfare. Examples were shown of people seeking employment of the most menial kind without success. They lacked community and safe housing and were dispirited. Can those in powerful positions not do better? This prompted me to be grateful for the community of nurses and carers I employed on a casual basis to meet the needs of people in the last phase of life who chose to be in their own homes. At the time there were no industrial awards for home nursing or personal assistants, and I did not need to be paid for my role as a Registered Nurse Case Coordinator. When it came to quality assurance my mantra was that we needed quality people before rules and regulations. Mostly those in our care were satisfied as were those giving the care. It was acknowledged that rewards for this work were more than a pay packet. Monthly education sessions created bonds. I question if today’s regulations and standards have hindered or helped… |
| I write about my experiences in my books which sell mainly in the US and can be found on Amazon and www.soultalksbooks.com They are:As Good as Goodbyes Get – a window into death and dyingMy Way – one nurse’s passion for end of lifeParting the Veil – reflections on soulYour Life, Your Way – practical tips and reflections |
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| In this age of technology everything is becoming more impersonal. Gone are the days when I was known at the bank! Today I’m identified by voice ID and a number. However, I did benefit with slightly irregular bank loans and the bank manager would come to my office in person. Intuition was my guide then and now. My sacred contract was to give and not to count the cost. In 2006 I was chosen as a social entrepreneur by the accounting firm Ernst and Young. A google search tells me that entrepreneurs have these characteristics:They’re passionateThey’re business savvyThey’re confidentThey’re plannersThey’re always onThey’re money managersThey never give up.My goal has never been to make money. It has been to find meaning in why I was born and what is my responsibility to ancestors and what gifts can I contribute to the larger life. A belief in reincarnation sees the soul as an energy entity travelling through many lifetimes. The charity Soul Talks which I founded following my career with NurseLink continues. Videos of previous presentations by contributors can be found on the website: www.soultalks.com.au Christmas is so much more than the birth of Jesus – Jesus is an example of a human who became enlightened. It is the energy of this man’s life on earth that is felt today. Some feel this energy as a personal ‘friend’ while others sense the energy of other holy examples. As the Sufi mystic Rumi said: “The lamps are many, but the light is the same.” This energy is experienced as a connection with spiritual life. If we honour the one whose birth is celebrated at Christmas, we will remember that he said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Spirituality cannot be taught – rather it is to be found as a person’s true nature. “Those who have the strength and the love to sit with a dying patient in the silence that goes beyond words will know that this moment is neither frightening nor painful, but a peaceful cessation of the functioning of the body.” – Dr Elisabeth Kubler-Ross |
May the spirit of Christmas infuse you with love, light and peace. I welcome hearing from you |
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