I had in my care a handsome young husband and father. He was built like an athlete, loved being a scratch golfer and lived life to the fullest. His wife loved him very much and there was nothing she would not do for him and their two precious little girls.

When I first began in hospice care, I was doubtful when patients spoke to me about visiting with loved ones who had already died, hearing beautiful music and seeing angels when they were close to death.

As a nurse, I wanted to find concrete explanations for their experiences. But in short order, having heard them again and again, I started to really listen to these stories. Regardless of their age, spiritual background, experience or education, many people had very similar stories to tell.

A very dear friend recently had her faith tested in a way she never could have imagined. Through the experience, she was intimately touched by God’s grace in a brand new way.

Her husband of many years had been diagnosed with cancer of the bladder, and although he was treated successfully for a long time, it seemed things were changing for the worse. 

There is a tailor in my community whom I turn to for her services. One day she looked particularly sad and I asked how she was doing.

She told me that her 94-year-old mother had died recently and she had many questions about what had taken place prior to her death. She and her family did not know whom to ask, and it weighed heavily on their hearts.

Our hospice program once had in its care a young boy who was six or seven years old. When he came to us, his family had just about explored every avenue for a possible cure, only to discover there were none left.

To say their hearts were heavy would be an understatement. No parent ever expects to bury their child and no earthly consolation can be found for them.

A young woman wrote to me about how God brought her family back together with an estranged grandfather. He had Alzheimer’s disease and, bedridden following a bout of pneumonia, was being cared for by his family.

After a prolonged illness, a wonderful man died a few years ago. He was abundantly kind by nature, caring for people from all walks of life. I do not remember ever hearing him utter an unkind word.

He had a practical way of looking at circumstances and people, and he was always grateful when you stopped by for a chat or quick prayer.

I made a new friend, Marlene, at a recent Magnificat Group event in Illinois. She loved her very sick husband dearly, but she had so many decisions to make she did not know which way to turn. ­

She asked me to pray for her and I promised I would. She had been a very faithful Catholic all her life and it had been her habit to sit before the Blessed Sacrament for an hour or so each day. But she had not been able to for some time due to all of her responsibilities and she missed it very much. When we sit quietly alone, that is when we hear God’s voice most clearly.

Dear Trudy,
I want to tell you about the recent loss of my father.

Dad was a very strong Christian who would preach to those caring for him.  Once he asked an orderly in the hospital. “Son,” he said, “do you have a personal relationship with God?”

“No one has ever asked me that question before,” the orderly replied.

Years ago I had in my care a three-year-old who was dying from leukemia. He was the brightest little child I had ever met. He seemed wise far beyond his years and sometimes said the dearest things imaginable.

While he was king of the roost at home, he was also very aware of the needs of others and expressed these concerns quite well. He had been sick for some time when I met him and his loving and devoted parents did everything they could to help him.