21/07/2022
I want to take a moment to celebrate my beloved 🙏🤍
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A few weeks ago, she flew back from Bali to California to be by the side of her father, who had just suffered from an unexpected stroke, leaving him with aphasia, meaning that he needed consistent in-person care.
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It was humbling to witness her from afar, as she navigated both her own deep vulnerability, helplessness & anticipatory grief of losing her dad (my father-in-law)—whilst creating the conditions for him to have an easeful passing.
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It's difficult to imagine just how much this asks of a single person—everything from climbing the 'death-admin' logistical mountain & navigating hospice care challenges to lovingly tending to a man who could barely communicate his own needs.
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Reflecting on what she went through, I can't help but wonder how many selfless acts of service to loved ones go unacknowledged to the wider world.
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So it feels very right to honour Kelly, and those countless others who are asked to engage in the sometimes heart-breaking-&-opening work that happens behind these closed doors of life.
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Our conversations have also served as a poignant reminder that one day we will be on the receiving end of this care ~ and we can only hope to be so fortunate to have a loved one there by our side to guide us through the process.
🙏♥️✨
