The French Toast

An inspiring volunteer recently shared a touching story with me.

She walked into our William J. Riley Memorial Residence for her shift and was introduced to a new patient. Neither of them could have imagined that a simple conversation would create a memory they would both cherish.

The care team shared that the patient hadn't been eating much for quite some time.

Our volunteer gently sat beside her and asked, "Is there anything you'd like for breakfast?"

The patient smiled softly and replied, "I'd like French toast."

Determined to make it happen, our volunteer and her partner gathered everything they needed from the kitchen. She even prepared it using the same special ingredients and little touches she had once used to convince her own children to eat her homemade French toast.

When the meal was placed in front of the patient, something remarkable happened.

The woman who hadn't wanted to eat happily enjoyed two full pieces of French toast.

With a grateful smile, she looked at our volunteer and said, "You really made my day. Thank you."

Fighting back joyful tears, our volunteer smiled and replied, "The pleasure was all mine."

In just a few moments, two strangers became friends. Not through grand gestures, but through a simple act of kindness, compassion, and a warm breakfast made with love.

That's the beauty of hospice.

Sometimes it's found in expert medical care.

Sometimes it's in holding a hand.

And sometimes...

it's in two pieces of French toast.

At Hospice of the Calumet Area, we call these Cherishing Life Moments. They are ordinary acts of extraordinary compassion that remind us life is measured not by the number of days we have, but by the love we share within them.

Because you never know when a simple act of kindness will become someone's favorite memory.

Damian Rico is the Marketing and Community Relations Director at Hospice of the Calumet Area. The opinions expressed are his own.