Pieces of The Puzzle

When walking through the center in Houghton, Mark (one of the managers) called me into the office to show me a DVD project he'd just completed. Looking over his shoulder I watched footage of Mother Teresa walking the grounds of Hospice Wits with staff members, and addressing them in one of the rooms of the center. She had visited with them in the 1980's. He had no idea of the significance of the moment...

One of my tasks on our trip here is to talk with the whole staff about the importance of each person's role in Hospice Wits, as well as our connection with one another. I do this by sharing a few stories about puzzle pieces and the fact that each one of us comes as 10,000 piece jigsaw puzzle...yet, on average, we come missing about seven pieces to complete our puzzle - while, on average, having about seven extra pieces belonging to other people's puzzles needed for their own wholeness. We end the time by having everyone pin one another with lovely gold puzzle piece pins we brought with us. It is quite a sight to see everyone - from the CEO to the gatekeeper - walking around adorning their gold puzzle pieces.

At the end of this presentation with the first center's staff I shared about Mark showing me the DVD. I shared with them about the honor of being asked to pick Mother Teresa up from the airport when I was but eighteen years old. When she got into the passenger's seat and I returned to the driver's seat she looked right into my eyes and said, "So what are you doing with your life?" Needless to say, during the ride I received one of the pieces that would greatly influence my life. To the staff I said, "I cannot tell you what it means to me to be standing here with you in this very space, thirty seven years after Mother Teresa asked me that question, talking with you about caring for people at the end of life...just as she did." I am still not sure I have completely grasped the moment. I feel as if I have been honored with the sacred task of carrying forth the baton on this journey, through which Mother Teresa so shaped the world.

-Terri

Today Was Spectacular

Today was spectacular. I mean truly spectacular. I am so proud of the team with me. Susan and Terri are doing a wonderful job sharing their many gifts of self with Hospice Wits staff.  It's going to be hard to put into words to describe how I feel about today. I know there will be more to share once I've had a chance to be still and think.  For now I'll tell you about our day. It's almost 5:30 pm in Jo-burg.

This morning we spent 4 hours with the management team. All 6 of their leaders committed to giving up half a day (on a Friday) to be with us.  We started with an activity led by Terri. We all completed an autobiographical poem about ourselves and then shared them with each other. I then led a discussion about leadership which culminated with each of the managers and CEO completed two different leadership questionnaires. Given the amount of trust in the room, the Hospice Wits staff began sharing some feelings regarding their own leadership strengths and leadership behaviors they'd like their colleagues to help them with.  Terri then ended our time together by facilitating a very heartwarming activity.  She will blog about this herself so I won't say more.  Just one hint... It involves each manager being 'pinned' by us. The pins are jigsaw puzzle pieces. We repeated this activity in the afternoon with all the staff on the Jo-burg campus and we'll repeat this activity in Soweto.  By the time we leave every paid employee will have a pin. I'm sending a few pictures for you to see.

After all the staff left Susan, Terri, and I stayed in the room to process the day and the week. We cried, laughed, and expressed gratitude to each other, our families, and you. This trip would not be possible without everyone's support.

So my heart is full. In fact it is brimming and overflowing with love right now. Tonight we're having dinner with the management team to celebrate our first work week here (please slow down time...). We understand we're being taken to an authentic South African restaurant. I heard someone mention worms...

Tomorrow is the weekend. We'll work on more posts so you'll have plenty to read Monday.

Until then,

Stacy