We are thrilled to share the wonderful news that our brilliant colleague Jonathan has been awarded the second prize in the writing competition organised by The Care Workers Charity.
This competition runs annually and is a chance for care workers to express their stories & experiences about their daily work and celebrate the dedication of staff who regularly go above and beyond. The 2023 submissions were open from 6 Nov to 4 Dec and the theme was Empathy.
Jonathan’s entry was a moving & inspiring piece that captured the essence of empathy in care work. Congratulations Jonathan, you have earned this recognition!
You can read his entry poem below:
“The Day I Died – by Jonathan Hoitinga
The day I died was wonderful.
I’d been alone for years, no family around,
Things were fine till I fell, and became bed bound.
Not wanting to leave the only home I’d ever known,
I agreed to have carers, so I wouldn’t be alone.
At first I hated not being in control,
Carers in and out all day – each had their own role.
Some would cook, some would clean, kept me clean and dry,
Some would make conversation – but I didn’t know why.
In my life I’d no need for friends before,
I enjoyed my own company, of that I was sure.
But why should I change now I’ve people around?
So I said very little, barely making a sound.
But as days turned to weeks, I became quite aware,
That for some of my carers, I’d started to care.
Years passed by, now the highlight of my day,
Are the chats with my carers – they have plenty to say!
Tales of romance, adventure – trips to the sea,
But the thing I like most is that they listen to me.
When I tell funny tales they laugh with glee,
And with tales of woe, they show empathy.
More years went by, and I felt quite content,
Though I knew that my body was thoroughly spent.
I was tired all the time, and I knew why,
I was reaching the end – soon I would die.
Some carers shed tears at my deterioration,
Held my hand – not wanting to leave their station.
But death is part of life, as night follows day,
It comes to us all – no matter what you say.
Finally it was time to ascend to the clouds above,
The day I died was wonderful – it was filled with love”.
and then