I had the opportunity this past week to present to the Michigan Homecare and Hospice Association. During our time together, we shared space and reflected on the meaning of presence at the end of life. It felt powerful to engage in dialogue, delving deeply into what it means to truly meet another human being where they are in their moment of need. If there is one thing I want to continue carrying with me from that day, it is this: No matter how much time we have with someone, or how consistently we are able to hold space for them, our presence at every moment can be not only meaningful, but truly powerful.
It is easy to get caught up in the busyness of getting things done and ensuring that practical needs and responsibilities are addressed. Yet, somewhere along the way, the very habits of our human experience can create distance between us. We become so accustomed to moving through the motions of daily life that simply being with another person can feel unfamiliar, and even like a new challenge in itself, to overcome.
During the presentation, we took time to reflect on a meaningful moment in our own lives when someone had truly been present for us. What became immediately apparent, was how similar our values were across uniquely personal experiences that felt like rare and precious gifts. Presence was recognizable to all of us when we felt seen, considered, and like our lives held unique value to someone outside ourselves. Those moments created a lasting sense of deep gratitude in each of us. For some, being acknowledged, loved, and seen, created even more reason to live and rediscover a sense of personal value.
But what if those moments weren’t so rare?
What if it weren’t so unusual to spend time with each other without an agenda? Or to share words of honor, consideration, and gratitude? To simply smile and gently caress an arm in solidarity? Or to look into someone’s eyes without bursting into nervous laughter because we were on the verge of tears?
Life is incredibly sacred. And the time we spend together during seasons of crisis often brings feelings to the surface that might otherwise go unspoken. But what if those feelings didn’t have to wait for a crisis to emerge for us to share them?
Together, we can commit to presence and more actively honor those we have come to know more deeply. The familiar among us, are as deserving of a loving eye as the stranger we admire, and manage to see without flaw from far. How beautiful would it be if those closest to us could not only know, but “feel” and “experience” how much we claim to love them in our lives? How amazing would it be to be considered and loved like that too….?
Let’s dare to connect with each other, and let’s hold those close to us, more tightly. We need not do it for fear of loss, but because we can create something so meaningful now, and that miracle alone is precious. Together, we can continue recognizing and honoring the bonds that weather every season: when the sun is shining and the grass is green, and through times of change, when beauty takes on new form. Let’s dare to live intentionally with presence, because it is truly unforgettable and enables us all to thrive.
