Daffodil Day Reminds Us of the Importance of Family Love
I find it heartening that the daffodil is used on that most special of days when so many good people give up their time to collect for cancer research. All of us without exception have had to deal with illness and, possibly the death of a loved one. The daffodil is bright and optimistic. It signals the beginning of new life. When we experience bereavement we are, in a way awakened to a new day. We realise that love is what matters. Looking after a sick child awakens us to the realisation that money and status really mean nothing. To borrow a phrase from the Christian lexicon we are in a sense ‘reborn’. It is a real pity that most of us must go through this pain to understand one of life’s true lessons. The book ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ is a classic at teaching us this lesson and I encourage you to read it.
In my experience having worked in the British NHS for a very long time the patients very often take care of the visitors! My most valuable time was in the quiet moments when we would talk about the past and the future. My patient would not talk about their future but of others future. Looking after someone who is ill is difficult. Trying to be a caring saint is useless; we are human after all. Even Florence Nightingale had her off days! Patients always apologise for being a nuisance and for being ‘trouble’. It is the duty of us carers, and most of us do it, to minimise any ‘trouble’.
Most of us can be guilty of being selfish from time to time. Most of us never really think about how fragile our life is and how precarious our existence. I am notorious for reading things and watching video clips that remind me how lucky I am and how grateful I should be. Daffodil day reminds us just how lucky most of us are and we must share our good fortune.
One of the things I ask of clients who are looking after sick relatives is ‘Does the person know they are loved?’ This isn’t just a question for Ill relatives but for the well also. This is where daffodil day is so important. It is a yearly reminder to us all not to take our loved ones for granted. One day they will be gone. So we must do our utmost to love and treasure them and to let them know they are loved by word and deed. Go well, always.