We all go through life knowing that someday we won’t be here forever. I’m not afraid of dying and see it as a natural part of life. But what does worry me is growing old and not being able to take care of myself. The idea of relying on a hospice nurse makes me a bit anxious.
The thought of needing help with everything, being unable to do simple things on my own, and forgetting my loved ones’ names scares me. It’s not the kind of life I’d want. This fear reminds me of Maria, a music teacher who was cared for by a hospice nurse in 2016.
One night, as I was leaving at the end of my shift, I said ‘Goodnight, Irene.’ Then I asked her if she knew the song ‘Goodnight, Irene,’ and I sang a little bit of it. She looked at me and smiled,” Berg said. “For someone who didn’t usually talk much with the nurses, that smile meant a lot, and I knew I had made a connection with her.”As Rosipajla’s health got worse, it was decided to move her from the hospital to hospice care. “The last time I took care of Irene, I wanted to do something kind for her and her family, so I brought my guitar,” said Berg, who had studied music in college. “I sang ‘Goodnight, Irene,’ and it was a really special moment. I was nervous about singing in front of someone, but when I started playing and singing, she was so focused, and her family was really touched.”
Michelle Naypauer, Irene Rosipajla’s daughter-in-law who saw her as a mother, was in the room and moved to tears. “Irene was a wonderful person who treated me like a daughter,” Naypauer said. “In the last few months, Irene was in and out of the hospital, and we got to know Annamarie well.”
“Before the song, Annamarie had already done some great things. Our middle son, Eric, got married in August, and Annamarie helped set up FaceTime so Mom could be at the reception bridal table. It was beautiful,” Naypauer shared.
Naypauer, who recorded Annamarie singing to Irene, wanted to capture the special moment to share with the family. “There were so many tears, and it was just so beautiful,” she said. The song was a heartfelt farewell to Irene, who passed away a few weeks later at home, surrounded by her family.
Watch Joshua sing to Maria while she was in his carehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGFRHyt1sFQ
1. “Maria is dying. Then carer takes something out of his pocket and fulfills her last wish..” Newsner. Norhan Elhakeem. October 26, 2017
2. “Nurse sings to patient moving to hospice care in touching moment.” ABC News. Haley Yamada. March 2, 2020.
The Tale of Resilience: Carrot, Egg, or Coffee Bean?
The grandma took the carrot out of the pot after a while and asked her granddaughter to explain what had happened to it. The granddaughter said that the carrot had become softer due to the heating water. The sage woman nodded before going on to the following pot.
She then removed the egg and asked about its metamorphosis. The granddaughter retorted that the hot water had solidified the egg. After considering her granddaughter’s observations, the grandma nodded once more.
The wise woman finally looked at the pot of coffee beans. She requested her granddaughter to tell her thoughts about the water that the coffee beans had been submerged in and the coffee beans themselves. The granddaughter retorted that the water had been transformed by the coffee beans, giving it a fresh flavor and scent.
The grandmother thoughtfully asked her granddaughter which of the three things—the carrot, the egg, or the coffee beans—she thought she looked most like.
After giving the topic some thought, the young woman understood the deep lesson her grandmother’s straightforward yet poignant illustration held. She realized that, similar to how boiling water shapes an egg and a carrot, life’s challenges may mold us in various ways.
When faced with hardship, the carrot, which is initially tough and stubborn, softens and becomes malleable. In a similar vein, when faced with hardship, the egg hardens with its protective shell. But the coffee beans, the epitome of tenacity and willpower, have the ability to change their situation and give them courage and optimism.
The granddaughter was very affected by this moving story. It reminded her that she had options when faced with obstacles in life. Adversity might either harden her and rob her of her fragility, like the egg, or it may make her weak and pliable, like the carrot. Alternatively, she may take a cue from the coffee beans and use her inner fortitude and fortitude to change the course of events and reach new heights for herself.
Which one then are you? Which are you, the coffee bean, the egg, or the carrot? Never forget that every obstacle presents a chance for development, transformation, and perseverance. Accept the lesson from this story and strive to be the coffee bean that rises above hardship, motivating others in the process.
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