Healers and Healing - Learning to Let Go

Healers and Healing was written soon after I finished my residency program in 1996. It was written as my way of expressing my experiences with as a medical student, resident physician and physician in training  hospice and hospice care.

What I discovered (and this is even more difficult with all of the new advances and new technology) is that often the most difficult role of a physician may be knowing when to "let go," and just "to be."

Healers and Healing

Healing,
the ancient covenant between physician and patient
a promise to cure,
to save,
and to restore. 

Healing
appears in many forms--
The right antibiotics for an infectious organism
The curative chemotherapy for a malignant tumor
The correct diagnosis in a complex case. 

But what of the terminal diagnosis
with no treatment options
when your diagnostic skills are no longer required
your presence will not alter the course? 

Then
Healing manifests on the purest level--
an extension of the soul,
aiding in the acceptance of the process
finding peace and serenity
on the path leading to transition. 

Healing
of pain,
suffering,
and emotional distress.
No longer with technical devices
and the newest medication. 

But just
A cheerful smile
An open ear
A gentle touch
A warm embrace
Taking the time to listen, to be
to share a part of yourself. 

Healing
becomes an expression of caring and love.
The greatest gift of all
may be the ability
to walk with a person
help provide them with strength
and courage
on their path to transition
and then let go.

© 1996 Kirsti A. Dyer, MD, MS

About the Poem
Healers and Healing poem was one that I used in a resource included for an AMSA presentation that I gave in 2001 to medical students on Caring For The Person,Not Just The Patient In End-of-Life Care. It was featured as an article on "Healers and Healing: Learning to 'Let Go' published on the old Beyond Indigo site in 2002.

Healers and Healing is a poem that I continue to shared with my bereavement graduate students as part of the Bereavement Course that I teach.

Sources
Dyer K. 1996. Healers and Healing. 1996. Journey of Hearts Site.
Dyer K. 2001. Caring For The Person,Not Just The Patient In End-of-Life Care. Dealing with Death & Dying in Medical Education and Practice. AMSA's 51st Annual Convention, Friday, March 30, 2001.
Dyer K. 2002. Healers and Healing: Learning to Let Go. Journey of Hearts Site.

Butterfly from Auora 26

An Angel Blessing for Those in Challenging Times

From a quote card that I created several years ago for someone going through a difficult challenge:

May Angels comfort you
in challenging times,
Encircle you with loving arms,
Hold you in a warm embrace.

May they give you strength
Sustain your spirit,
Bring you grace and
a calming sense of peace.

 Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS

The quote was intended for anyone facing a challenge, whether a health-related challenge or one at the end of life. The original cards featured the beautiful SpiritArt Angels of J. Ann Maskier. This quote went with her beautiful Spirit Guide angel.

Angel Embrace by ppdigital.

Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep an eBook of Comfort

Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep is a helpful resource, an eBook with over 250 poems, quotes, words and readings of comfort for those who have experienced a loss. It is a beautiful collection of bereavement poems

I am honored that one of my own poems In Memory of You is included representing a contemporary bereavement poem.

You can read In Memory of You in one of the earlier posts on the Grief, Loss & Transitions Blog.

Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep eBook - A Helpful Resource
The Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep Book is also a very helpful resource for writing a eulogy, funeral or memorial speech. The eBook pdf format makes it easy to navigate the over 250 resources to find and copy the right words to used in writing a funeral or memorial speech.

Some of the many uses for this eBook include:

• Funeral speeches
• Funeral planning
• Memorial Services
• Writing Eulogies
• Sending Words of Comfort as Condolences
• Writing a Sympathy Letter or Note
• Grieving a Loss - finding the right words to express how you are feeling
• Writing an Obituary or Death Announcement
• Reading Classic, Famous and Contemporary Bereavement Poems

Ordering Information
You can order your own copy of Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep, the special collection of more than 250 poems, quotations and readings to comfort, by clicking on the book title link, or any of the live links in this post or here.

The eBook is available for Immediate Download from the Light Beyond website.