Hospice of the Valley

I’m reasonably certain that if God does exist, he (or she, whatever) is going to throw down the big ‘C’ on me, punishment for all my eff-​ups.
And if God doesn’t get me, I’m pretty sure I’ll come down with Karma-​Cancer.
Anyway, I thought I would prepare for my own un-​doing by familiarizing myself with death and dying. I know it’s weird, but then we all have our peculiarities, don’t we?
That’s when I signed up as a HOTV volunteer and got much more than I ever bargained for.
After a ten week training course, (once weekly) you’ll graduate to become eligible as a social volunteer where you’ll be assigned to a patient in need of hospice care, serving that patient and their family until the end.
Your obligation will be to relieve the primary care-​giver of your assigned patient at least once a week for four hours.
If you’re a man, like me, you’ll probably be assigned to older males, where I promise you’ll never be same afterward. I mean that in a good way.
You’ll learn about death and dying. The bereavement process, and spend countless hours listening to people who in their remaining days will impart nothing but wisdom to your heart and soul.
It is with this wisdom you will never fear the reaper again.
You’ll live life to the fullest and take chances you never dreamed of.
In short, you will become the best you ever.
I have to thank everyone at HOTV for the three years I served as a volunteer, but even a bigger shout-​out, (this is weird) to all the patients whose hands I held as they took their last breath.
The love you gave me has allowed me to live life to the fullest in every sense of the meaning.
Wherever you all are today, I love you and thank you.
Especially you, John.
Note; I still fuck-​up as of this writing. Only now I do it with the knowledge I’ll be ok no matter what happens.