“Under the Coral Tree”
Life Stories, Wisdom, Care Conversations & Thanks
Poetry Rx | “Chemotherapy” by Julia Darling
Julia Darling (1956-2005) I did not imagine being bald at forty four. I didn’t have a plan. Perhaps a scar or two from growing old, hot flushes. I’d sit fluttering a fan. But I am bald, and hardly ever walk by day, I’m the invalid of these rooms, stirring soups, awake...
Gratitude for Our Caregivers | Cheryl: A Mighty Powerhouse of Compassion
Cheryl French (pictured above with our beloved Mrs. Von KR) is a Coral Tree MVP. Originally from Iloilo — said to be the heart of the Philippines as it’s located in the center of the archipelago’s 7,100 islands — when I think of Cheryl, I think of the heart of Coral...
Our Friends | Oh, That’s Just Marilyn
When I first heard we had a new client, a Mrs.von KleinSmid, I wondered: Could that be THE VON KR?! So I drove down to the Island to meet her. Yes, she had red hair and had taught at Harbor View. Even though neither of my kids had been in her classes, everyone knew...
Wisdom | “I am with you always” ~ Pope Francis’ Message for Grandparents & the Elderly
July 25, 2021 Dicastero per la Comunicazione - Libreria Editrice Vaticana Dear Grandfathers and Grandmothers, Dear Elderly Friends, “I am with you always” (Mt 28:20): this is the promise the Lord made to his disciples before he ascended into heaven. They are the words...
Gratitude for Our Caregivers | Susan
Susan sees her clients as extensions of her own family. She is there to love them and give them comfort. There were no nurses in her own family in the Philippines. Her parents asked Susan to study nursing so someone would be able to look after them, so Susan studied...
Our Friends | Doris Felman ~ The Extraordinary Life of an American Woman
“I see America, not in the setting sun of a black night of despair ahead of us, I see America in the crimson light of a rising sun fresh from the burning, creative hand of God. I see great days ahead, great days possible to men and women of will and vision.” ― Carl...
Gratitude for Our Caregivers | Del
In our bimonthly newsletters we've started sharing some glimpses of the compassionate care that Coral Tree’s caregivers have offered our friends (and us!) over the years — highlighting personal experiences; sharing stories friends have shared; or recalling particular...
Poetry Rx | “From Cedi la Strada Agli Alberi” by Franco Arminio
From Cedi la Strada Agli Alberi Franco Arminio (b. 1960) Translated by Sarah Lambert-Porter We need farmers, poets, people who know how to make bread, who love trees and recognize the wind. More than a year of growth, it would take a year of attention. Attention to...
Poetry Rx | “Sorrow Is Not My Name” by Ross Gay
“Sorrow Is Not My Name” Ross Gay (b. 1974) — after Gwendolyn Brooks No matter the pull toward brink. No matter the florid, deep sleep awaits. There is a time for everything. Look, just this morning a vulture nodded his red, grizzled head at me, and I looked at him,...
Prayer | “Morning Prayer” by John O’Donohue
"Morning Prayer" John O’Donohue (1956-2008) 1 Somewhere, out at the edges, the night Is turning and the waves of darkness Begin to brighten the shore of dawn The heavy dark falls back to earth And the freed air goes wild with light, The heart fills with fresh, bright...