Our hope is…

“As care givers, we need to be well grounded. Our hope is not in independence, but interdependence. Our primary task is not to control others or force others to be what we want them to be or do what we want them to do. It is to bring a deep unconditional love to those whom we serve. Our central purpose is not self-determination or self-reliance; it is a feeling of connectedness between those whom we serve and ourselves. Our central role is to express a profound sense of companionship and community. What we often think are our primary tasks will come in due course if those whom we serve feel safe, loved, loving and engaged.

We are community makers. Community is a gathering of gifts. Our gift in the act of care giving is the creation of companionship and the formation of community. Those whom we serve bring their mind-body-spirit, their dreams denied, and their hunger for love. They bring their troubles and sorrows, their life story, and their broken hearts. We are to bring a spirit of gentleness to mend their hearts.”

John McGee
‘Mending Broken Hearts: Companionship and Community’