Aloha -
I am attending my third in a series of about 8 retreats / teaching for End of Life practitioners (people involved in hospice or palliative care) at the Santa Sabina Retreat Center in San Rafael, California. It was a beautiful day and a real treat to drive up here from San Francisco. San Rafael is beautiful - I would love to buy a house here! So do many people and this is why it's so expensive.
This third course is about creative collaboration. We talked for over an hour or two tonight about what are some of the barriers to collaboration at our various workplaces. Over and over people mentioned many of the same things. What struck me about the SFVA ER was that we share much of what was mentioned. For example, people's communication styles (IF they communicate), our own ego's (is it about what they want or what the patient needs?) and much, much more. Too many to list this late in the evening.
It felt very right to be here again though as I walked in. We have over fifty people what are taking the full eight courses and all in all it is an expensive (but fair!) proposition. I am paying for this out of my own pocket and it is over $8000! But I knew without any doubt after the first few hours last year that it would stretch, challenge and teach me.
Seeing familiar faces helps. After all, there is a bond among those who have been around so much death and suffering and yes, joy. It's a package deal after all. It is not for everyone. Sometimes it is not for me yet I do it over and over again. We all get there, some slow, some faster. It's nice to have someone there who gets it, who can help not only you but the ones you love who are left to live and remember you!
It grows late and I must go. It is such an honor to work with the people at the ER and especially so with the fine people here at this retreat. May we all be so blessed.
D
No comments:
Post a Comment