I love hospice. I love its mission and the purpose it serves. Humans have been dying since the beginning of time, and we still can’t figure out how to deal with death. That’s where hospice comes in.

I had the most humbling experience with a patient who was newly assigned to hospice. He’s a 46 year-old Chinese man from Vietnam. I always feel a deep connection to Chinese from Vietnam; I almost feel like they’re my relatives. He was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), or Lou Gerhig’s disease, 3 years ago. He has lost all function in his upper extremities. He can’t walk or talk. He can still eat soft food, but has trouble with swallowing and drooling. It’s a really sad disease when I think about it. But when I was in his home, I didn’t feel that sad. I actually felt very peaceful and inspired.

He is such a sweet man who smiled so frequently throughout our meeting. He was so polite and hospitable – wanting to turn off the TV during our meeting and saying goodbye to us at the door. I don’t know if he feels sorry for himself, but he sure doesn’t act like it. He acts like he’s making the most of the abilities he still has.

He has a very supportive family and a superwoman wife. She has an attitude of taking care of business while still being sensitive. And on top of all this, they have three children ages 10, 17, and 19. Their 19 year-old daughter plans on attending night school so she can take care of her dad during the day while her mom works full-time. It’s an unfathomably difficult situation.

I left their home so impressed by their strength.

We’re all going to die. Everyone we love is going to die. So why not make the experience as pleasant as possible?