Wild and Precious

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” – Mary Oliver

It was a fitting question for the 14th annual Heroes of Hospice luncheon at the Hilton Santa Barbara, where #1 New York Times bestselling author Cheryl Strayed joined Hospice of Santa Barbara supporters to reflect on love, loss, and the ordinary moments that give life meaning.

“It hadn’t occurred to me that my mother would die. Until she was dying, the thought had never entered my mind,” Cheryl wrote in Wild. Her mother eventually entered the hospice wing of a Duluth hospital, and the loss propelled her toward the Pacific Crest Trail journey that became her memoir, later adapted for the screen starring Reese Witherspoon.

For Hospice CEO David Selberg, one “wild and precious” memory was quieter: sitting at age seven with his mother in an old green leather chair (which he still owns today) while she did laundry and played Andy Williams. He felt “safe and content,” unaware that not long after that, she would be gone.

The luncheon honored oncologist Dr. Fred Kass with the Medical Award, while Partners for Kids, led by Rebecca Simonitsch and Kieran Shah; and VOICE Magazine, led by Mark Whitehurst and Kerry Methner, received Partnership Awards. Ginni Dreier, Hiroko Benko, and Anne Towbes enjoyed the program along with Mindy Denson, Leslie Haight, Ann Anderson, Marybeth Carty, Cynder Sinclair, and novelist Tom Strelich in a full kilt.

“He’s kind of a shy, low-profile person,” Selberg said of Dr. Kass. “Countless women come up to him and say, ‘You saved my life from breast cancer.’ He’s just remarkable.”

“If you have an organization that in your own heart you put on a pedestal for a long time, and then they turn around and think you did something good – that’s a big deal,” Dr. Kass shyly smiled.

At Hospice of Santa Barbara, Oliver’s question seemed to find a simple answer: treasure the ordinary moments. They may turn out to be the most precious ones of all.