Last month, I had the distinct honour to be present at Vickie Cammack’s Celebration of Life and spent some time reflecting with others about how we will miss her presence. We talked about her legacy and how it lives on around the world and in PLAN.
The Celebration was a well thought out, planned and supported event which included a “Tour de Trees” in White Rock, eloquently shared memories by dear friends (including our own Cathy Anthony) musical performances and a poem shared by a family member. We were all together, sharing memories and wonderful food and we could feel Vickie’s presence in the room and in the program itself. A very powerful reminder of how intentionally planning can result in exactly what is needed!
Lately, I have also been revisiting my copy of Safe and Secure, the book written by Vickie and Al so many years ago that has become the foundation of the work we do here at PLAN. Saying goodbye to Vickie has me thinking about this wonderful resource and for the next few months, I will be writing about different aspects found between its covers. There are many exercises and forms included in Safe and Secure. The one that jumped out at me this month is Worksheet 3 found on page 44 of the electronic version.
“The last wishes of family members are honoured and respected in our society. A letter to the future is your opportunity to tell your survivors how you would like to be remembered, and how you would like your relative with a disability to be cared for. This is not an easy letter to write. Think of it as the letter you might write in the middle of the night when you can’t sleep. Be frank about your hopes and fears. Tell those who will survive you what’s most important to you.”
Excerpt From: Safe and Secure, Al Etmanski and Vickie Cammack
(Let us know if you need a copy!)
Our experience at Vickie’s Celebration felt like a direct result of this kind of loving planning! Have you written a letter to the future yet? We would love to hear about it!
Written by: Shelley Nessman