Saying Goodbye

As a hospice chaplain it is part of my ministry to say hello and say goodbye to many people. It has been a privilege to get to know people of various backgrounds. It dawned on me the other day why it is so important to have the opportunity to say goodbye. And, why I encourage others to invest the time to do so with their friends and family members. As a child I was impacted by my inability to say goodbye to my beloved Mormor (Swedish for Mother’s Mother). She meant the world to me. Yet, in that period of time young children were not allowed to visit in the hospital. When she had her final visit to the hospital (having died there) I was left hanging. I did not attend the funeral either and so she essentially just disappeared from my life. I was left to fill in the blanks of what has happened and just imagine she took a direct route to heaven.

Years later I had a dream that changed things for me in a powerful way. It was in answer to a prayer. I said, “God show me what is holding me back and pulling me down” (as I experienced chronic depression since the time of her death but did not make that connection until much later).

Almost 20 years after her death I was asleep in a very dark room. Suddenly, I felt as if the room was flooded with light to the point that I could see it through my eyelids. I had the sensation of what a lobster might feel if it were alive and being dipped in warm butter. I felt as if a burden was lifted quite dramatically. At the same time I heard a voice singing in Swedish. As I awoke I realized I had been granted a grace filled dream of my Mormor.

The prayer for healing and release was answered in a profound way. It has fueled my ministry and desire to help others enjoy their final moments with those they love.

Blessings–> Glenn.