Remembering on Memorial Day

As everyone is aware hopefully, this Memorial Day in the Gulf Coast of the US is quite unlike any of the past, with a massive oil spill affecting that area immeasureably.  I've been thinking about how to explain that something like this happened and wondered when I saw the house today of a most amazing woman who passed away last summer AFTER the very untimely and unexpected death of my teammate who had been one of the most amazing professional collaborations of my time seeing patients in home health in years past. 

The oncology nurse whose experience I heavily relied upon with a very difficult situation/patient died just about a year ago in a motorcycle crash and I'd passed her house yesterday, hoping that this Memorial Day is a better one for her family.  But as the more experienced die or retire, are we leaving the 'trenches' without setting up the relationships to mentor those in our footsteps?  Is this going on in industries such as the petroleum industry?  I know it is in the health care industry.  In years past there was a mass exodus of experienced and older workers with a public utility company because their retirement account had some changes that basically incentivised them to leave employment and retire early. 

I encourage people to think about that and stay involved with making a difference in ways that you can.  While out on a drive in the absolutely perfect weather we're lucky enough to have here in Colorado this weekend, I saw an advertisement to become a mentor with a youth partnership program, which basically said "Change Two Lives, Volunteer to be a Mentor".  And then realize when you're in situations that perhaps some of the more experienced have passed and left a void, and hopefully put in time wherever you can with forming connections with people.  I think ultimately that is something we'll remember in the future as a good thing -- or as the Grate Group says, a Grate Thing. 

Think about what you can be doing to support another person's abilities this summer after Memorial Day weekend.  We're all in this together, and it truly comes down to our individual connections with those who have something to offer.