I attended the annual Hospice Volunteer Day organized by CHV, my first time. The day concluded with closing remarks from philosopher Dr. phil. Celina von Bezold which were quite profound.
She encouraged us to embrace vulnerability and imperfection more openly. To show our “scars” rather than hide them. Being in need of support is not a weakness but part of what makes us human. We are, from the very beginning, relational beings: we come into the world dependent on others. Why then should the end of life be any different? Too often, we glorify independence and self-reliance (the “I”) while neglecting the value of interdependence (the “we”). She urged us to reclaim that “we” not just in dying, but in living, to carry it through every stage of life.
Needing help is not a flaw. It’s a return to the very condition in which our existence began.