Volunteers in the Walking Group Program become accustomed to dealing with the unusual.

On one particular Saturday, we met a new group and after greetings and demonstrations of the Hospice Hug, we embarked on our walk in Victoria’s beautiful beacon Hill Park.

A woman walker approached. She asked if we could hold hands. I agreed to the hand-holding, and we joined the group. There we were, two perfect strangers, holding hands in a very public place.

It was a beautiful morning, and we enjoyed the outing. The woman never once let go of my hand, and after awhile, I didn’t even think about it. She told me about her husband’s illness, the wonderful doctors, and fabulous staff at Victoria Hospice. As it turned out I knew of her husband who had been a jazz musician in Victoria. During the next walk, she gave me a tape of a piano player that we both admired.

Throughout the remainder of the eight Saturday walks, I noticed that my new hand-holding friend took turns holding hands with other volunteers.

There has to be something magical about walking in beautiful surroundings in a way that enables strangers to share experiences and to hold hands in such an instinctive
way. Times such as this remind me of just how much this simple gentle program has helped bereaved individuals.