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During National Palliative Care Week 2017 we are sharing stories from palliative care volunteers in NSW, collated by editor and palliative care biographer Ros Bradley over the last couple of months.

Ros asked volunteers if they would share an inspirational moment, a story of resilience, a transforming experience, a special poem, text, image or piece of music.

Along the way she spoke to some 60 of the 1,600 or so palliative care volunteers around the state, with 21 of them sending her contributions that gave us unique insights into their experiences, inspirations and inner life as volunteers.

Here is one of the contributions on a musical piece. Thank you to all the volunteers who contributed.

May I suggest to you (by Eve)

I heard the Victorian group, the Brunswick Women’s Choir perform ‘May I Suggest to You’ and I cried for the wise beauty of the words and the poignancy music.

The words and music are from songwriter, Susan Warner. The whole song describes the development of a person’s life until their last days ‘when the dark descends’.

The words touch my heart as they point to the possibility of a good death—one that can even be ‘the best part of your life’.

‘May I suggest to you’ – 

This is a song 

Comes from the west to you 

Comes from the west, comes from the slowly setting sun 

With a request 

With a request of you 

To see how very short the endless days will run 

And when they’re gone 

And when the dark descends 

Oh we’d give anything for one more hour of light 

And I suggest this is the best part of your life

Sung by the Brunswick Women’s  Choir – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJjb_14GYoQ

Pic: Eve