Brandi Allison has worked in hospice care for over 20 years. A few years ago, the career she loves became personal when she lost her mother. Read her story of how hospice care made a difference in her life and how it can make a difference in yours.
Working in Hospice Care
It has been over 21 years since I stepped out in faith to do something I said I would never do- hospice work- and joined Four Seasons. The death of my grandmother six months prior had cracked open the door that I would eventually walk through, and I have never once regretted that decision.
Through these many years, I have had the honor to serve alongside the most incredible people ever. It is rare to find this many exceptionally skilled individuals at all levels, working together, in one organization. What I have found is that each one has a story that led them here. They have been called to this purpose-driven work. Each person, regardless of
their role, is a critical piece of the puzzle, striving to live by our values and do what is right each and every day. I have made lifelong friends. I have celebrated life’s joys with them and walked beside them in times of grief and loss. Together, we have experienced a worldwide pandemic and even hurricane Helene. They have risen to every challenge.
Experiencing the Other Side of Hospice
In March of 2022, I wasn’t a hospice nurse; I was a distraught daughter overwhelmed with the thought of losing my own mother. My team did for me what I see them do every day for those we serve in the community. They walked alongside my family and me through some of our darkest days until we were able to see the light again.
One of my most treasured memories of being served by Four Seasons was my mom’s heartbeat recording. It was obtained by Ali Webster, one of our amazing nurses, and put together by one of our amazing, former music therapists. My parents had a Hallmark Movie kind of romance, engaged in three days, married in ten, together through life’s ups and downs for over 51 years. The song in the recording is “The Dance” by Garth Brooks. This was a song my dad requested be played at my mom’s service. He wanted her to know that he wouldn’t have missed the life they created, their dance, for anything. My colleagues- the team providing care to our community every day- took a song that held such meaning and wove my mom into every beat, literally. Hospice care and the staff who provide it made this moment for my family and me.
They created a memory that still brings her to life.
Grief Work is Hard Work
Following my mom’s death, I had a brief period where I was not sure I could continue doing this kind of work anymore. Grief work is hard work. My village surrounded me, they provided space, and they gave me opportunities to talk about my mom (pictured right).
I had taken an extended leave, and she had met me for afternoon tea. This was a beautiful gesture to my British-Redneck mother, as we affectionately called her. I vividly remember sharing a story with her about my great niece. She was about seven at the time she had been very sad after my mom passed. I had told her that every time we saw a butterfly, it would be my mom’s way of telling us that she loved us. At that very moment, a car drove by covered in butterflies, and I said, “There goes my momma yelling she loves me now.” Butterflies have always been symbolic for my family since my grandmother’s passing, but when I dug a little deeper, I discovered some very special things. “Spiritually, butterflies symbolize transformation, rebirth, and personal growth, representing the soul’s journey from a limited caterpillar stage through metamorphosis (chrysalis) to a liberated, colorful butterfly, signifying spiritual evolution, freedom, and hope. They are seen as divine messengers, the souls of loved ones, or symbols of psyche (the Greek word for soul), encouraging us to find beauty, embrace change, and live joyfully in the moment.”
My momma was so proud that I was a hospice nurse, and there was no other work I was called to do.
Realizing My Purpose
When I first began my nursing career, I had a dream of being a labor and delivery nurse. That didn’t happen, and every time there was a type of nursing I said I wouldn’t do, that was exactly where my God put me. The same was true for hospice; that journey just took longer. After being with Four Seasons for about six months, I had an ah-ha moment. I always wanted to be a Labor & Delivery nurse, and that is exactly what I am, just not in the way that I initially envisioned. Hospice nursing helps the body to labor to deliver the soul. You see, I never specified babies all those years ago in that initial plan, and my God took creative license. His plan is always better.
I am looking forward to many more years serving the community where I was born and raised, working alongside the most amazing team members, and being supported by an organization that gives grace and does what’s right. Our CBRIGHTER values are not just words on a wall. I am so grateful that my life’s journey led me to my Four Seasons family.
I hope my story gives you a small glimpse of the impact hospice can make on you and your family.
