chocolate peppermint bark candy

you never know how you impact the lives of those around you. I work in a small, family owned nursing home...our residents become a part of our lives and become like family. This week I had to have "the talk" with a son and daughter about the fact that Mom was continuing to decline with multiple health problems causing more frequent hospitalizations with no improvement. The intervals between hospitalizations are as short as 2-3 days. The doctor requested that "we" talk to them about whether it was time to shift our focus of care to one of comfort measures and symptom management. Over 30 plus years of these "talks" it never gets any easier, but by and large most families are appreciative of knowing the facts. Thankfully, this conversation went well and just confirmed what the family was already suspecting.
Last night the daughter brought me a tin of Williams-Sonoma's Peppermint/chocolate bark candy...which is really good by the way. She said she knew how loved and cherished her Mother was by all the staff. She thanked me for telling her not to give up on her Mother so many times...her Mother has Alzheimer's and when she came to us she had a lot of behavior issues that had not responded to medications, but eventually the doctors got the right combinations and she was a delightful and very funny lady to be around again.
Don't know how much longer she will be with us...we will continue to cherish whatever time we have left...small kindnesses...just rambling today...savoring the gift of love and chocolate