2020 Virtual Holiday Workshop

We’ve all heard the seasonal adage that “April showers bring May flowers.” Not only does the rain create an environment which enables spring flowers to bloom, but it also offers us a poignant reminder of the importance of self-compassion. If ever there were a time to be kind and compassionate with ourselves, it would be when we are grieving – and yet, we are often our own worst critics, telling ourselves stories about how we “should” grieve. We can be impatient with ourselves, believing that grief is taking “too long” or that we are grieving “incorrectly.” It can be hard to show up for ourselves with patience and a sense of self-compassion.

In 1997, just three years after Angela Hospice’s Livonia Care Center opened its doors, Jim Jeziorowski met someone there who would change his life forever.

Having completed his internship as a hospice social worker, Jim was considering returning to the field. Georgine “Genie” Favazza was exploring the idea of volunteering as a clown to bring cheer to hospice patients. As it turned out, Genie decided not to volunteer, and Jim went on to work with troubled youth instead of hospice patients. But their meeting at Angela Hospice was fateful one – or maybe rather a faithful one.