This week the subject of our newsletter was reflections on remembrance and in it I asked the question – Do we really know the people we care for? That question was prompted by the image created by Brian Fray and published in the Guelph Tribune. It seems to me it is so easy to only see the ‘old’ person in front of you – crippled and frail and not the ‘warrior’ – strong and courageous.

It is good to occasionally reflect on how little we know about the people we care for – whether spouses, parents or patients in our professional work. We are so busy that it is too easy to remain at a very superficial level with them. Every person has a rich past and when we take the time to learn about it we are enriched.