I sat at the Thanksgiving table with my family and friends, appreciating the full table of dishes and desserts in front of me. The laughter and conversation bounced around the room, filling my heart with memories of togetherness that I continue to cherish. However, one particular dish stood out to me: cherry pie. This dessert reminded me of the transformative experiences I had as a hospice volunteer this year, prompting me to be forever grateful for the meaningful, everlasting connections one can form with patients of any background or age.
The cherry pie I saw on the Thanksgiving table reminded me of one of the hospice patients I visited every week this year: “Alice”. I visited her every Tuesday last semester, and her face would always light up when hearing of visitors. When I first started hospice volunteering, I feared that I would be unable to forge genuine connections with the patients, as I would start off as complete strangers to them. However, this experience has shown me the beautiful simplicity in connecting with others, and how a simple similarity can open the gateway to becoming a better person and eventual provider.
When I first met with “Alice”, we exchanged polite small talk. My eyes had awkwardly gazed across the room, picking up details of her health struggles with her walker and oxygen tube. I did not know how to convey that I was there for her in this difficult time of life. She seemed content with good conversation, so I tried my best to keep her engaged. Eventually, we arrived at the topic of favorite foods. This is when “Alice” lit up, reminiscing about her mother’s amazing cherry pie. I was ecstatic to see how she brightened in retelling her stories to me, and I encouraged it with every visit so that I could piece together her identity.
She loved to exchange stories of her earlier career as a nurse, which I found inspiring as a pre-medical student. I also heard of how amazing her mother was at baking, and how she still cherishes the memories