When Grief Comes to Visit

At Gateway Home, every person who walks through our doors becomes a part of our extended family. We share in laughter, we shoulder grief, and we offer presence—not just care—in life’s most vulnerable moments. But every so often, we are called to care for someone who is already part of our own family in a different way: the loved ones of our staff. These moments are tender, humbling, and deeply personal.

This past year, we were honored to care for three of our own staff members' family members—each experience a quiet reminder of the sacredness of our mission. Two of those loved ones were never physically with us at the house, but they were still very much in our care. In their final days, we offered comfort and guidance from afar, holding space for their journey with the same compassion and attentiveness we give to those under our roof. The third received our care in person, allowing us to extend our arms fully and wrap one of our own in the embrace of this home we've built together.

Caring for our colleagues’ families is a profound honor. It is a full-circle moment—where the caregivers become the cared for, and the love they’ve poured into countless others is gently returned. It affirms something we've always known: that we don’t just understand what our families are going through—we live it. We grieve right alongside them. We navigate the same helplessness, the same ache, the same quiet hopes.

When someone we love is dying, no amount of professional experience can shield us from the heartbreak. But what we can offer—and what we so often do—is a unique kind of empathy. We know the rhythm of final days, the power of a whispered goodbye, the importance of holding a hand through the night. And when it is our own turn to need that, Gateway rises to meet us with grace.

These three lives we touched—two from afar, one within our walls—are etched into our hearts not just as patients, but as cherished connections to those who serve beside us every day. Their stories now live within the fabric of our home, woven into our mission with even greater depth.

To care for our own is to be reminded why we do this work. It calls us to be more human, more gentle, and more present. It is a solemn privilege that we do not take for granted. At Gateway, grief is not something we simply witness—it is something we share. And in doing so, we strengthen the very heart of this home: love, compassion, and community.