Society for Oncology Massage
 Uncommon Interest, Training, Compassion

2010 OMHS Closing Ceremony

Closing Ceremony
2010 Healing Summit
Bloomington, Minnesota

We Are One


We have come from the East, the West, the North and the South to gather and share, learn and grow. We have brought with us all those who have loved us and taught us and shaped us into who we are today. We return to our regions, our areas, our compass points to continue to find our place; our work in the world.

And so we turn to the East…

EAST:

I am the people of the East.

I am the veiled woman in Iran.

I am the office worker biking in crowded streets.

I am the bone marrow donor from Germany who saved the life of the man in Tennessee.

I am the forgotten one on the streets of Calcutta.

I am the man from Maine with chronic leukemia who lives one day at a time.

I am the mountain climber of the Himalayas.

I am the therapist from Qatar, a tiny country in the Persian Gulf, who flies for hours to go to an oncology massage training.

I am your sister

I am your brother

We are ONE.

We join our hearts and minds with the people of planet Earth. We recognize the deep bond we have with each created being. We celebrate the goodness, the beauty and the talents of all our brothers and sisters. We stand in solidarity with all those who suffer in any way. May our compassion be revitalized and renewed at the awareness of our unity.

And we turn to the South…

SOUTH:

I am the people of the South.

I am the singers and dancers of Haiti.

I am the farm laborer in Mexico who works long hours in the fields laced with pesticides.

I am the Chilean man who lost his partner in the earthquake.

I am the doctor in Santa Fe who heals her patients with herbs and food.

I am the mother of the disappeared in Central America.

I am the aboriginal child playing in Australia.

I am the fund raiser in Texas whose unpaid work supports many therapists around him.

I am your brother

I am your sister

We are ONE.

The wide diversity and beauty in humanity has been smiled upon. May we foster a greater awareness and deeper commitment to what will heal our world. May we be more mindful about our daily living and our role in making life less difficult for one another.

And we turn to the West…

WEST:

I am the people of the West.

I am the rancher in the unfenced lands of the Rockies.

I am the oncology massage therapist in California massaging the feet of chemo infusion patients.

I am the widow in Bosnia.

I am the therapist from Oregon who turned away cancer patients because she was afraid.

I am the nurse practitioner in an HIV/AIDS clinic.

I am the peacekeeper in war-torn lands.

I am the hospice nurse in Hawaii working with administration to begin programs for her patients.

I am your sister.

I am your brother

We are ONE

May our vision be stretched so that we do not forget those who suffer daily. May we remember those who carry the heavy burdens of pain and loss, grief and sadness and suffering. May our hands reach out in peace, compassion, love and healing.

And we turn to the North…

NORTH:

I am the people of the North.

I am the children of the Ojibway tribe.

I am the hospital housekeeper in Illinois who dreams of being a doctor.

I am the teacher in Vancouver.

I am the woman from Britain with rectal cancer who had surgery 2 days ago to remove her bowel, bladder and part of her buttocks

I am the grandmother in Nova Scotia raising her grandchildren.

I am the parent from New York who has lost two children to cancer.

I am the woman in Minneapolis waiting for results from her breast biopsy.

I am your sister.

I am your brother.

We are ONE.

 

We are the doctors everywhere who must tell person after person after person that there are no other treatments available.

We are the nurses everywhere who never have time to grieve for one person before the next death comes.

We are the massage therapists who bring light and love and healing and hope to a weary world.

May our souls be stirred and our hearts set on fire. May we be attentive and alert to leading true and abundant lives. May we be granted an open heart to share generosity and goodness to those we meet along the way.

 

Adapted by Mary Peifer from "Out of the Ordinary" by Joyce Rupp. Used by permission of Ave Maria Press