{"id":1051,"date":"2021-01-17T17:02:42","date_gmt":"2021-01-17T17:02:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.prairiehospice.org\/?p=1051"},"modified":"2021-01-26T17:36:45","modified_gmt":"2021-01-26T17:36:45","slug":"of-gardens-and-gratitude","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prairiehospice.org\/of-gardens-and-gratitude\/","title":{"rendered":"Of Gardens and Gratitude"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cI want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and  planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.\u201d<\/em><\/p>– Abraham Lincoln <\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Throughout her life, Joyce Comeault lived in a variety of different houses and worked at a variety of different jobs. One thing was a constant though: wherever she lived, she always grew a garden. She retired from housekeeping at the Northgate Inn when she was 60; by then she lived nearby in a house where the backyard was just old dirt and had been previously used to rebuild cars. She laughs, remembering, \u201cI\u2019d be doing something in the garden and pull out part of a brake or an old motor!\u201d With her green thumb, she turned that forsaken ground into a lush garden full of beautiful flowers and bountiful vegetables. Enough to feed the neighbourhood \u2013 which she did. \u201cI had so much growing there I couldn\u2019t <\/em>give it all away!\u201d she says proudly. \u201cI said to the neighbours, \u2018Don\u2019t destroy the plants \u2013 just ask and I\u2019ll give it to you, you can take what you want.\u2019 My family always told me, \u2018You\u2019re growing a garden for the neighbours!\u2019 I said, \u2018I guess so,\u2019\u201d she shrugs with a grin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gardens over the years weren\u2019t just to feed the neighbours, they were to feed her own family – Joyce and her two children, as well as the foster children she took in. Joyce estimates she was a foster parent to at least a dozen children. \u201cSome were outgoing,\u201d she recalls. \u201cBut some were so sad, they didn\u2019t seem to understand their situation. Some didn\u2019t even know what Christmas was!\u201d she says, eyes wide with  disbelief. \u201cMy daughter and son would get in there, and help them open their presents,\u201d  she smiles.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winter didn\u2019t stop Joyce from gardening; she could garden indoors too. \u201cAt one time I  had 100 houseplants \u2013 my railings were covered in them, my bathrooms, my bedroom, I  had them everywhere! But then I moved to Winnipeg and had to give most of them  away.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now 71, Joyce lives alone in a subsidized seniors\u2019 apartment building in downtown  Saskatoon. There she plants and tends flowers in the courtyard on the main floor. \u201cI had  a bad experience last year,\u201d she admits, frowning. \u201cAll my roses kept getting cut. I was  mad, I said, \u2018They\u2019re for everybody <\/em>to enjoy.\u2019 I think I know who it was though, she  walked around with clippers in her hand,\u201d Joyce quips. \u201cBut now she\u2019s moved!\u201d she  brightens with a chuckle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With its proximity to the river, Joyce says she is in heaven at the Shepherd Apartments;  walking is another of her loves, and she is looking forward to summer so she can get  out on her legs again.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a time, though, when her days of gardening and going for walks looked  numbered. In 2016, she was suffering from extreme stomach issues, and while at the hospital for testing, it was discovered she had Stage 4 colorectal cancer that had metastasized to her liver. Immediate surgery started off the process, with chemotherapy and radiation treatment following. While going through all of that, Joyce\u2019s osteoporosis got much worse, resulting in numerous fractures in her spine. It was then that she was referred to the Prairie Hospice Society (PHS).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joyce received much help from PHS with the Hospice Now program. There were multiple volunteers who drove her to appointments when she was in the thick of it,  needing bloodwork, CAT scans, chemo and radiation. \u201cOh, they helped me in any and every way possible,\u201d Joyce says emphatically. \u201cThey helped me with just about everything. One came to my doctor\u2019s appointment when my daughter couldn\u2019t be there, they wrote down all the notes to give to my daughter. They helped me get my teeth done. One even bought me groceries! They\u2019re very, very caring people. We  talked, we joked, they offered help of all kinds. They\u2019re just fantastic people, they really  are \u2013 every one of them. The conversations were so uplifting, they made my day.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joyce has a few favourite anecdotes from some of those drives. There was the time  Eileen Klassen, the PHS Volunteer Coordinator, got a little lost on the way to the RUH.  \u201cInstead we ended up in Kinsmen Park!\u201d Joyce chuckles. \u201cShe said, \u2018We\u2019re taking the  long way around,\u2019 and we laughed. I thought that was so cute.\u201d And the time Gail Bissett  had to park in a spot reserved for expectant mothers. \u201cI said, \u2018Okay, which one\u2019s pregnant \u2013 you or me?\u2019\u201d Joyce hoots. And she was always happy to see Jim McClements and his dog. \u201cThe dog was in the back, she was so friendly, she always gave me kisses on my cheeks,\u201d smiles Joyce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this crucial time, PHS also matched Joyce with a steady volunteer companion \u2013 Rachel Drew \u2013 to come spend time with her each week.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life  beautiful for others.\u201d<\/em><\/p>– Mandy Hale <\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Ever since she was a little girl, Rachel Drew had an unusual predilection. Her family all  knew of it, even though her siblings didn\u2019t share it. \u201cFor some reason, since I was little  I\u2019ve always been really mindful of death,\u201d she says thoughtfully. \u201cI think it\u2019s one of the  most important times in our life. It\u2019s so valuable to be able to live that part of your life  well.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the time she was in high school Rachel was meditating regularly \u2013 again a  divergence from what her classmates and peers were doing. After completing school,  she travelled extensively in southeast Asia. One highlight for her was spending 10 days  in a meditation retreat in Thailand. \u201cAlso I stayed at a Buddhist monastery in Nepal for a  month. In Nepal, you meditate on the dying process. I\u2019m not Buddhist but I like the  traditions, and am pretty aligned with the philosophies behind it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once back in Saskatoon, Rachel was considering what her future career might be.  \u201cGiven my passion for helping people die well, I thought I might want to be a palliative  care nurse,\u201d she says. So she volunteered at the Palliative Care Unit in St. Paul\u2019s  Hospital. \u201cBut I realized that it was the connection with people at the end of life that I  wanted. I want to make sure people have the opportunity to still live<\/em>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rachel went on to get married and have two daughters. She started up her own  business in the Occupational Health and Safety field. Then in 2016, she became a  volunteer with the Prairie Hospice Society. Upon completing her training, she was  matched up with Joyce Comeault.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI remember at first I was apprehensive when I saw that Joyce was a similar age to my  mom,\u201d says Rachel. \u201cMy mom had passed away two years before that, and I was still a  little sensitive. When I first started seeing Joyce, she was going through chemo, then to  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

radiation.\u201d Rachel, along with Joyce\u2019s daughter, helped Joyce through her chemotherapy treatments, and her radiation sessions. Together they were at the hospital to see Joyce through her two surgeries. Joyce\u2019s daughter could not handle everything by herself, and she expressed her gratitude to Rachel for helping her mother. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once Joyce was convalescing back at home again, Rachel made soups for her, and  helped clean up around the apartment. And there were two or three incidents where  Joyce needed to call Rachel to take her to Emergency; of course Rachel was quick to  oblige. \u201cI\u2019m always happy to know she can phone me if she needs anything,\u201d says  Rachel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

*** <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd in the end it’s not the years in your life that count; it’s the life in your years.\u201d<\/em><\/p>– Abraham Lincoln <\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In the three years that Joyce and Rachel have now been a team, they have forged a  close bond. The two women see each other once a week, and talk on the phone during  the week. \u201cIt\u2019s just been amazing,\u201d says Rachel. \u201cWe always joke that it\u2019s been the  perfect match. We get along so well, it feels like we\u2019ve been friends forever. And,\u201d she  adds, \u201cwe actually do connect a lot like mother and daughter.\u201d Indeed Joyce refers to  Rachel as her daughter, and Rachel\u2019s kids \u2013 now 5 and 7 \u2013 as her grandchildren.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe has such a sweet relationship with my daughters,\u201d Rachel smiles. \u201cI take the girls  to see her every couple of months for sure,\u201d says Rachel. \u201cPlus on special occasions  like if they\u2019re trick or treating, or at Christmas I\u2019ll bring them to help decorate Joyce\u2019s  tree. I know Joyce just loves it, she always has craft stuff to do with them at her place – she connects so well with them. Last weekend the girls asked if we could have her over  for a tea party. The girls made muffins with their dad\u2019s help, and when Joyce got here  they showed her around the house, showed her all their toys.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These days, Joyce is feeling better; she\u2019s gone from 67 pounds at her lowest, to 88  pounds so far. She says she is looking forward to getting out this spring with Rachel and  the girls to pick out flowers and do some planting, to go on river walks; it\u2019s clear she  cherishes exercise and fresh air, and her time with what she calls her \u201csecond family\u201d.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI want <\/em>Joyce to feel that she\u2019s a part of my family,\u201d says Rachel. \u201cAnd she is so much  more \u2013 she has such a special place in my heart. She does just as much for me as I do  for her, it\u2019s such a reciprocal relationship … it\u2019s very rewarding.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rachel is thoughtful for a moment. \u201cThere\u2019s still so much value in that end of life time,\u201d  she nods, and then ventures: \u201cPossibly the most value.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cI want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and  planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.\u201d – Abraham Lincoln  Throughout her life, Joyce Comeault lived in a variety of different houses and worked at a variety of different jobs. One thing was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1057,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":6}},"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/prairiehospice.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Story-3-3.jpg",2048,2048,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/prairiehospice.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Story-3-3-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/prairiehospice.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Story-3-3-300x300.jpg",300,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/prairiehospice.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Story-3-3-768x768.jpg",768,768,true],"large":["https:\/\/prairiehospice.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Story-3-3-1024x1024.jpg",1024,1024,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/prairiehospice.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Story-3-3-1536x1536.jpg",1536,1536,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/prairiehospice.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Story-3-3-2048x2048.jpg",2048,2048,true]},"post_excerpt_stackable":"

\u201cI want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and  planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.\u201d– Abraham Lincoln  Throughout her life, Joyce Comeault lived in a variety of different houses and worked at a variety of different jobs. One thing was a constant though: wherever she lived, she always grew a garden. She retired from housekeeping at the Northgate Inn when she was 60; by then she lived nearby in a house where the backyard was just old dirt and had been previously used to rebuild cars.…<\/p>\n","category_list":"Stories<\/a>","author_info":{"name":"Jacquie Moore","url":"https:\/\/prairiehospice.org\/author\/jacquie-moore\/"},"comments_num":"0 comments","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prairiehospice.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1051"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prairiehospice.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prairiehospice.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prairiehospice.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prairiehospice.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1051"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/prairiehospice.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1051\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prairiehospice.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prairiehospice.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prairiehospice.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prairiehospice.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}