Though the rain tried to dampen the spirits and wings of the Maison McCulloch Hospice Butterfly release Aug. 7, the love and peace brought by attendees made the hospice’s event something beautiful to witness.
The fundraiser — which had to be moved indoors from the grounds of Science North to the science centre’s cavern due to Sunday’s inclement weather — raised $60,000 for the hospice foundation, well exceeding the $30,000 goal.
It was the first time in three years the event could be held, and for some families, the first chance to publicly mourn and remember a loved one.
And though there were certainly a few tears, the overwhelming feeling seemed to be the need to release, to allow those who’ve been lost to fly like the butterflies; to allow those who mourn a feeling of closure.
And while we talk about death in terms like “loss,” Julie Aube, executive director of the hospice said that loss is thought of differently when a part of end of life care.
“Hospice care is unique, in that, when you're at the end of your days, it is refreshing to be around people that are experienced with that time of your life,” she said. “We tend to use language, like ‘they're losing their battle with cancer’, or ‘they've lost the fight,’ which can be so negative. Instead, it's so refreshing to be around a group of people caring for you, that know that every one, at some time, is going to go through this. This is just your time. And let's look back on your life and how you've lived it and be thankful for every moment that you've had.”
Aube said that anything ceremonial can offer closure, something deeply important to hospice care.
“Even when someone ends their days at the hospice, we have what's called the hallway ceremony,” she said. “We bring the person out, we honor them with a moment of silence, we say a few words, and we walk them out into their final, final journey. That ceremonial aspect, just like the butterfly release, can be closure.”
Mayor Brian Bigger attended the event and spoke to the audience not only about the importance of hospice as healthcare, but also, about the care his father, Leo Bigger, and the unmatched support he and his family received.
Both Geoffrey and Gerry Lougheed Jr. attended the event that is greatly supported by the Lougheed Foundation. When speaking, Gerry Lougheed quoted the poet, Rabindranath Tagore, when he said that “butterflies count not months, but moments.” He also told a story about the importance of struggle in one’s ability to truly understand and survive life itself.
He spoke of a man who wished to free a butterfly from the cocoon that it so struggled against. The man cut the cocoon with scissors, but was surprised to find that without the struggle of the cocoon, the butterfly is not strong enough to move its wings.
“The struggle of our loved ones is now done,” said Lougheed.
“The struggle through the cocoon of cancer, the struggle through the cocoon of strokes has made them more strong and beautiful in a place that does not have the adversities of this world,” and that, he said, is the beauty of the butterfly release.
For more information about the Maison McCulloch Hospice, visit their website, found here.
