This time of year is bittersweet for some. A loved one who was with us last year during the holidays isn’t here this year, or someone passed away long ago and the memories of him or her are still bright in our minds. No matter how long ago someone left us, the pain of loss never quite leaves. The Visiting Nurses Association of Porter County spends quite a bit of time with individuals in their last years, making their final days happy. And, knowing what the families of those loved ones need, the VNA hosts their annual Tree of Remembrance Ceremony to remember and celebrate those who are now looking down at us from above.
Click here to see more photos from the ceremony
The Tree of Remembrance Ceremony took place at Christ Lutheran Church in Valparaiso. Families came in and were given a premade ornament with a deceased loved one’s name on it. People were able to preorder ornaments in November so that they could be personalized and ready for the night’s ceremony. Everyone went into the sanctuary and hung their ornaments on one of three trees that stood in the middle of the large room. Quiet murmurs, meaningful hugs, and hand squeezes were seen here and there as everyone waited for the ceremony to begin.
“It’s a very moving ceremony,” Kathy Markwart, Home Hospice Nurse for the VNA of Porter County said. “Beautiful and therapeutic. I love seeing the slide shows with all the pictures of loved ones and seeing the families. Some of them I worked with so it’s nice to connect with them again… It’s very rewarding to work in hospice care. You do make a difference even if you are with a patient and their family for a short time.”
The slide show that Markwart referred to was one that played through the entirety of the ceremony. Families were able to send in photos of loved ones who passed to the VNA and those photos were made into this sentimental slide show that immortalized their memories.
“The VNA really believes in what they do,” Joe Claesgens, VNA Committee member said. “I’ve been part of it for about 34 years and it’s nice to be able to help. People need this event as a way of bereavement.”
Finally, ladies in white, the VNA Hospice Choir, stood to perform. They sang traditional Christmas songs acapella, and later had the entire congregation singing with them. Following in the footsteps of the choir, Reverend Craig A. Forwalter spoke.
“We are able to lift up the people we love so much tonight,” he said. “As we hang our ornaments on our trees year after year we can share our loved one’s story. The ornaments can’t replace our loved one, rather they are a reminder so we can honor and celebrate their lives.”
The night concluded with cookies, coffee, and hot chocolate, warming the hearts of those who attended even more.