Quarterly News Winter 2010
Mission Statement: To improve end-of-life care for people of all cultures and communities in the Tarrant Area.
President Message by Joan Reynolds
On this cold, bone chilling morning , as I sit here looking out at a brown lawn, leafless trees and frozen plants, I am reminded how often I have heard people refer to winter as being dreary, dreadful or depressing. For many, winter is a time of year we don’t relish. Winter is that season we don’t look forward to and is often associated with death and dying, a topic that we just don’t want to think about or talk about. Like winter, which is often unpredictable, so is death and dying. The calendar tells us that the first day of winter is on December 21. Yet harsh cold, blustery winds, snow and ice can come early, sometimes in the fall or late into the spring, just after we have planted and prepared our yards for summer. Though we are warned repeatedly that a “blue norther” is headed our way, we don’t listen or begin to prepare, so we are often caught off guard. So it is with end of life issues.
Though death is inevitable, and we know that it is part of the cycle of life, we also never know when or how it will come, and we don’t want to talk about it, let alone put those things in place that would make things so much easier for our families and physicians. Then suddenly, just like a blizzard in winter that stops us dead in our tracks, death and dying confront us head on with a tragedy, terminal illness, or some other catastrophic event. Consequently, we find our selves scrambling around for help- where to go, who to talk with, what resources are available. Then to make matters worse, the various family members are disagreeing with one another about what should or should not be done.
Addressing end of life issues and improving care at the end of life is the very mission of CQEC, The Coalition for Quality End of Life Care. Becoming prepared through planning, having those important conversations with loved ones, expressing our desires for end of life situations and the importance of having Advance Directives in place. These are all a part of the goals we have to educate our community this year through various programs we invite you to take part in.
You will find some of the programs listed in this newsletter. I invite you to check out our new website: www.coalitionqec.org for more information on upcoming events, as well as information about CQEC and how you can become involved in our organization. You will also find helpful information and other resources that are available to help you plan for and work through end of life issues that you may be experiencing now.
Having been born and raised in North Dakota, I love winter! I find the cold, crispness of the day invigorating and energizing. To me, it is also a season that causes us to slow down. There is a quiet, peacefulness about it, a time to relax, reflect, and rejuvenate one’s soul, and a stillness that causes us to listen, a time to prioritize important things in life.
Our CQEC Board had its annual Strategic Planning meeting on a bitter, cold Saturday morning in January. We welcomed three new members to our board, Dr. Jerry Barker, Shelia Gibson and Debbie Schutkowski. By the end of the day, we were energized by the many opportunities we realized were before us to inform and educate our community this year. As the late Father Carl so eloquently stated in his last newsletter,” We need your minds, hearts and hands.” Please, Come join us.
President Message by Joan Reynolds
On this cold, bone chilling morning , as I sit here looking out at a brown lawn, leafless trees and frozen plants, I am reminded how often I have heard people refer to winter as being dreary, dreadful or depressing. For many, winter is a time of year we don’t relish. Winter is that season we don’t look forward to and is often associated with death and dying, a topic that we just don’t want to think about or talk about. Like winter, which is often unpredictable, so is death and dying. The calendar tells us that the first day of winter is on December 21. Yet harsh cold, blustery winds, snow and ice can come early, sometimes in the fall or late into the spring, just after we have planted and prepared our yards for summer. Though we are warned repeatedly that a “blue norther” is headed our way, we don’t listen or begin to prepare, so we are often caught off guard. So it is with end of life issues.
Though death is inevitable, and we know that it is part of the cycle of life, we also never know when or how it will come, and we don’t want to talk about it, let alone put those things in place that would make things so much easier for our families and physicians. Then suddenly, just like a blizzard in winter that stops us dead in our tracks, death and dying confront us head on with a tragedy, terminal illness, or some other catastrophic event. Consequently, we find our selves scrambling around for help- where to go, who to talk with, what resources are available. Then to make matters worse, the various family members are disagreeing with one another about what should or should not be done.
Addressing end of life issues and improving care at the end of life is the very mission of CQEC, The Coalition for Quality End of Life Care. Becoming prepared through planning, having those important conversations with loved ones, expressing our desires for end of life situations and the importance of having Advance Directives in place. These are all a part of the goals we have to educate our community this year through various programs we invite you to take part in.
You will find some of the programs listed in this newsletter. I invite you to check out our new website: www.coalitionqec.org for more information on upcoming events, as well as information about CQEC and how you can become involved in our organization. You will also find helpful information and other resources that are available to help you plan for and work through end of life issues that you may be experiencing now.
Having been born and raised in North Dakota, I love winter! I find the cold, crispness of the day invigorating and energizing. To me, it is also a season that causes us to slow down. There is a quiet, peacefulness about it, a time to relax, reflect, and rejuvenate one’s soul, and a stillness that causes us to listen, a time to prioritize important things in life.
Our CQEC Board had its annual Strategic Planning meeting on a bitter, cold Saturday morning in January. We welcomed three new members to our board, Dr. Jerry Barker, Shelia Gibson and Debbie Schutkowski. By the end of the day, we were energized by the many opportunities we realized were before us to inform and educate our community this year. As the late Father Carl so eloquently stated in his last newsletter,” We need your minds, hearts and hands.” Please, Come join us.