Light Up a Life on the Central Coast

A LOOK BACK ON HOSPICE MONTH

Thank you to everyone who participated in Wilshire Hospice’s Celebration of Life, in honor of National Hospice Month. We held four Light Up A Life ceremonies in San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County throughout the month. As we began the holiday season, this special opportunity brought us together in celebration of our loved ones who are no longer with us. We asked a couple of our colleagues to reflect on this year’s events:

“Every year it seems like something extra soulful happens that you couldn’t plan if you tried. This year, almost everyone there was seated near a staff person – a nurse or social worker – who had connected with them during their loved-one’s time on Hospice. I could look around and see what comfort that was to the grieving family members and loved ones. And after the ceremony, there was a lot of sweet sharing, memories, tears and laughter. It really felt like we were all a family for a bit.” — Steve Willey, Director of Volunteer & Community Education

“As always, the people who attended the Light Up a Life ceremonies expressed gratitude for the opportunity to process their grief. Part of my comments this year as the person delivering the Light Up a Life message for the San Luis Obispo and North County ceremonies centered on the importance of attending opportunities like this as a way of working through, or processing, our grief, so that we don’t get stuck in it. Even though it can be difficult work, the shift from grief to mourning often takes place in and through our rituals and ceremonies like Light Up a Life.” — Berkeley Johnson, Spiritual Counselor

Light Up a Life creates that sacred space into which we can enter and join with others in our loss. If you attended and have feedback, we would love to hear from you. Send your comments to lualwhoc@wilshirehcs.org. Thank you again for joining us. We hope to see you again next year.

Click the link below to see the Faces of Love photo tribute from this year.