George Marks Hospital

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had the neatest opportunity to participate in a palliative care conference at George Marks Hospital in Oakland. It is the first freestanding respite hospital in the united states. The goal is to provide respite, transitional and end of life care for families and their children. It has eight rooms, therapy rooms, a sanctuary and beautiful spirit!! What an amazing facility!! I wish all could feel the love within these walls!!

The panel went well. It is amazing how much you can learn from others experiences. Each time I come away feeling so blessed for my children and family. All three of us touched on how our perspective of life is changed for the better because of our children. One parent mentioned how sometimes you listen to others worries and realize what a blessing it is that your joy can come from the tiniest, insignificant things in life and that most things in life are not worth worrying about.

That is something that Danny and I have talked a lot about. I recognize that we are all have our unique challenges and trials and are all able to cope with them with different degrees of ease. I don't think that any of them can or should be compared or placed on levels of easiness because life just doesn't work that way. Sometimes the harder your life is, the easier it is as well because of perspective. With that said, I am grateful that my children, especially Carl and Tyler, have blessed me with an incredible perspective of what is important in life and what I don't need to spend my time worrying about.

The irony is that after these conferences I go to coach 9-12 year olds. I sometimes drive home from work and laugh about the contrast of my days compared to my nights. I go from seeing the joy of a mom whose child is severly handicapped to the dismay of parents whose child isn't training hard enough or in the higher group. Sometimes I just wish others can step into my shoes for a day and go to a conference or house like George Marks to gain the lessons that critically ill or dying children teach so beautifully of what is really important in life!

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