A Journey of Life

by Cassondra Homm, BSW

     As a young individual, finishing up my BSW degree and embarking on a new journey of jumping full force into my MSW degree, I experienced a significant loss - the loss of my dear grandfather. It was while grieving the loss of my grandfather that I was drawn to end-of-life care. As a result, I decided to pursue an MSW field placement within the same hospice organization my family used for my grandfather. Four months prior to the beginning of that placement, my grandmother was placed on hospice. It was while saying good-bye to my grandmother that I was reassured of my choice to begin my social work journey in end-of-life care. In fact, I felt called to live out my grandparents’ memory by serving other individuals and families affected by death. 

     In the midst of my field placement, I can honestly say that my eyes have been opened to both beautiful and heart-breaking situations. Each day is a journey - a journey of sorrow, disappointment, frustration, patience, love, and hope. Yet, even on the hardest days, I know that there is no other place I would rather be than walking beside individuals and families during this life transition.   

     It is while walking alongside of these individuals that I am also taking steps on my own journey of grief. The grief and loss education I have been learning is affecting my personal life, and together with my family, we continue to mourn and reconstruct our “new” life without the presence of my grandparents. Yet, even though I work with families experiencing loss, I find it challenging to assist and support those closest to me in their own grieving process. I often find myself stumbling over words, freezing up, and making insensitive comments. This is my struggle. It is as if the social worker inside of me escapes and runs for the hills. But even as a social worker, I am human and certainly not perfect. I will struggle with my life challenges, just as my clients struggle with theirs.

     So, this journey of uncovering my passions within the field of social work was due to unfortunate events in my life, but as the saying goes, “When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.” These life events gave me perspective and have molded me into who I am today, just as the adversity experienced by my clients will shape who they become.

     Together, we face this journey of life.

Cassondra Homm is an MSW student at Marywood University - Lehigh Valley, in Pennsylvania. She will graduate in May 2017 with her MSW degree and a specialization in behavioral health. Cassondra has a passion for older adults, end-of-life care, and grief and loss. She says, "It is truly a privilege to learn from the wisdom spoken by those nearing death."