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During National Palliative Care Week 2017 we started 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.

Funeral song choice: The Water (from Chris)

…as for music The Water is a song that I would like to have at my funeral. It highlights many of own beliefs about death: that I will become one with everything after my final breath.

I’ve spent a lot of time in the water in my life so the imagery of being taken out by the river connects with me deeply.

 All that I have is a river
The river is always my home
Lord, take me away
For I just cannot stay
Or I’ll sink in my skin and my bones

The water sustains me without even trying
The water can’t drown me, I’m done
With my dying

Please help me build a small boat
One that’ll ride on the flow
Where the river runs deep
And the larger fish creep
I’m glad of what keeps me afloat

The water sustains me without even trying
The water can’t drown me, I’m done
With my dying

Now deeper the water I sail
And faster the current I’m in
That each night brings the stars
And the song in my heart
Is a tune for the journeyman’s tale

The water sustains me without even trying
The water can’t drown me, I’m done
With my dying

Now the land that I knew is a dream
And the line on the distance grows faint
So wide is my river
The horizon a sliver
The artist has run out of paint

The water sustains me without even trying
The water can’t drown me, I’m done
With my dying

Where the blue of the sea meets the sky
And the big yellow sun leads me home
I’m everywhere now
The way is a vow
To the wind of each breath by and by

The water sustains me without even trying
The water can’t drown me, I’m done
With my dying

– Johnny Flynn featuring Laura Marling.

Watch the video on You Tube.