Date: 16th September 2021
Who said volunteering is all about giving to others?!
This morning two of us from the Resonate Together team are outdoors. Enjoying a pastry (or two!) and sharing a really good hot chocolate as we got ready for a morning of community activities.
The two of us are originally from different parts of the UK. We are different generations, have very different backgrounds and yet through Resonate Together we have connected. As we chatted away and shared this moment together we found ourselves talking about the loss of a loved one.
My colleague, who had been married for longer than I have lived, talked of his wife and I listened to his reminiscing the many good times they spent together. We laughed when he shared stories of the funny things him and his wife got up to in their military careers. When he spoke of her passing, well, our quiet seemed to turn the bird song volume up. We took a moment of quiet reflection. I felt I was supporting my colleague through this moment, a shoulder to lean on as they say, for how could one spend half a century with their loved one and survive the farewell?
Then I found myself speaking of the loss of my mother and I realised: my colleague had recognised and understood my grief – which I had found difficult to hide in recent weeks. And so, this morning, I was the one being supported.
Posted in: Resonate Blog
