The Closet of the Unfinished
By Rosemary Addison
In the room at McNally House where Connie is a resident, the quilted artwork that she has created in her life envelopes you in warmth and peace, drawing you into its beauty.
Each stitch was an act of love and caring, arising from Connie’s dedication to living out her passion, to living out the emotion of the creating.
Connie dedicated her life to caring and compassion, serving as a registered nurse in the ICU and ER at West Lincoln Memorial Hospital and later at the Beamsville Medical Clinic.
She cared for people who were chronically ill, and stayed by the bedside of those who were at the end of life.
Connie became ill with cancer in 2018. In the spring of 2024, her cancer had metastasized. She became a palliative care patient. This caused Connie and her husband Mike to think seriously about hospice care.
In June 2024, Connie and Mike walked together through the doors of McNally House Hospice. They were met by a PSW that welcomed them with a warmth that filled them with a sense of peace and comfort.
In all the months since then, this has not changed. What stands out for them every day is the respect and dignity that is given to them and to other residents and their family members. Nothing is “too much” for staff and volunteers to do for anyone… cups of tea brought to the patio, homemade soups and sweets, the taking of time to sit and chat.
“When I came in, it all felt surreal,” comments Connie, “like a dream. It still feels like a dream.”
After a time, Connie was able to read, to do her creative handwork, and even return to her home with Mike for a day each week. She and Mike attribute this to the exemplary care that she is receiving, lessening the concern of being cared for at home. Mike and their family no longer need to be responsible for day-to-day caregiving. They can be a family, enjoying each other, spending quality time with Connie. Connie feels that they are being nourished by the care and compassion at McNally House, being treated like “a human being with a soul”. “I feel so blessed that McNally is here, and, that I have the chance to be here.”
Connie and Mike both realize that all this does not change the ultimate outcome, but, the journey towards end of life is more meaningful.
Back at her home, Connie has a closet of unfinished creative projects that she wants to complete, to “finish the unfinished”.
She feels that because what she has experienced at McNally, her inner being has been restored for a while longer. The closet of the unfinished is also representative of life that is still left to be lived.
There is a decal of a hummingbird on the window of Connie’s room. As we finished our time together, a ray of sunshine streamed through the window, casting a shadow of the hummingbird on the wall. The hummingbird is a symbol of hope, a symbol that is used on the logo of McNally House Hospice. McNally House is a place of hope; a place where caring and respect are foremost, where compassion grows community.