Conversations with Purrr
Conversations with Purrr
The Pain of Regret: Lessons from the dying
With my gorgeous brother Lewis in town I am inspired to share with you the story of Mary and Kate - two elderly residents of a hospice where Lewis and I used to volunteer.
Consumed by the guilt, frustration and sorrow of our grandmother’s long and drawn-out decline led us to volunteer our time at the hospice. We wanted to face our own fears around death and dying.
Lewis is the kindest, most thoughtful, generous and naturally gregarious human I know. He is also a wonderful cook, so the hospice manager agreed to allow us to provide cooking demonstrations for the residents.
It was a delight providing sustenance for the residents on so many levels. We learnt that as long as we have our senses, we have the possibility of accessing what makes us human, and connected.
Occasionally profound conversations emerged, often with a common theme. Nearly all of the residents harboured regrets. And when I asked them what they would do differently, they expressed the common themes again and again.
Regret for the things they had done alleviated over time, but it was regret for the things they did not do that left them the most heartbroken.
Over a cup of Tiger Purrr chai, I share lessons from the dying and how profoundly this calls for living a life free of regrets.
Where to find Pauline:
My signature program: Spiritual Entrepreneur Accelerator
My book: The Way of the Spiritual Entrepreneur