Light Up A Life

I wrote this article for the Santa Cruz Sentinel earlier this month. It was published on Sunday December 2. I'm running it in my blog, along with one of the photos I took to illustrate the story because so many people told me they were touched by the story.

The holidays can be an especially difficult time for those who have recently lost a loved one. Simple rituals and ceremonies, in the company of others who are also
grieving, can help ease some of the pain. And both grief and relief were evident on the faces of participants in the second annual Light up a Life event yesterday afternoon in Capitola Village. Hosted by Heartland Hospice of Santa Cruz County, the hands on event allowed people to decorate Luminary bags in honor of their loved ones in the company of others who are also mourning a loss.

“Holidays tend to trigger a lot of grief for people,” said Forbes Ellis, the bereavement coordinator for Heartland Hospice. “This memorial event gives people more support and provides a space and place for the bereaved.” 

Despite overcast skies, a small, but steady stream of people made their way to canopies set up near the bandstand to create a customized memorial bag for a relative or friend they were grieving. Over the course of the afternoon, roughly 60 people of all ages created personalized memorials, sipped coffee or tea, snacked on pizza and cookies and listened to live music. All materials and refreshments
were donated by Heartland Hospice, and  Celina Gutierrez, of Celina and the C Monkeys donated her time to play the ukelele and sing.

 “It's perfect to have the event here,” said Ali Eppy, as she decorated a bag in honor of her sister Nancy, who passed away a little over a year ago. “She was an ocean lover and she loved coming to the beach.”

Mary Anderson, who was decorating a bag in honor of her brother Jim O'Loughlin,
agreed. “He lived in Capitola, and liked the ocean and boats,” she said. “I know
he's here today.”

People set their completed bags on the seawall overlooking the beach, after weighing them down with sand and placing a battery powered candle inside. At about 5 o'clock, just as dusk was settling in, the candles were turned on and people formed a semi-circle facing the seawall for a brief memorial. The rain, which had held off most of the afternoon, began to come down lightly while Celina  played and sang Somewhere over the Rainbow and many of the mourners wept. 

“A ritual like this is a way to process (a loss) on a non-verbal level,” Ellis said. “It
allows people to take another step through their grief process.”

Capitola Mayor Michael Termini, who had earlier proclaimed December 1 as“Heartland Hospice Day,” said he was pleased hospice had chosen the bandstand area for the memorial.

 “The location is perfect for such a sweet, touching and moving event,”Termini said. “It's a very intimate, friendly beach environment.”

Heartland Hospice Services has been providing comfort, symptom management and palliative care services for terminally ill patients in Santa Cruz County for the past decade. Its employees care for patients in their homes, at skilled nursing
facilities, or assisted living centers. Services are tailored to individual
patients and families to address their unique needs, and ensure they understand
their health care choices while respecting patient's spiritual beliefs and
practices. Heartland Hospice also offers bereavement services to provide emotional support to family members.