Palma (Pam) – Rest in Peace

It I am so sad to announce to those that knew her that Palma passed away last Friday. Some of you may have known her from Parsley Sage and Thyme the health food store in Ladner. Palma worked for me for the last 8 months at the studio as my right hand person.

Palma was one of those amazing spirits that drew you in. I used to make excuses to go and buy things from her at the health food store, but mostly I think I went to get one of her all-encompassing, incredible hugs.

When Palma told me that she was thinking about changing careers due to PS&T being sold, I thought ‘How do I get her?’ I didn’t even have a job for her at the time but knew how great she was with people and how great she would be representing the studio.

Over the last 8 months we grew very close, she became my right hand person, my confident, my therapist …but most of all a very close friend. I find it hard to comprehend that only 6 weeks ago she was vibrantly running around the studio organizing the fundraising shopping day for Delta Hospice.

Just after that Palma’s energy decreased substantially, she awoke one morning finding a bruise on her stomach which turns out was one of the signs she had Cancer. She was entered into Emergency at the Hospital, spent 2 weeks in Hospital and 2 weeks home until she passed away comfortably at home with her husband Paul by her side.

I can only say how incredibly grateful I was to have her in my life, she touched many lives including my mothers. When my mother was alive she always had to go and visit P,S&T, again I think just to see Palma and receive one of her hugs!

As sad as this is, there are great lessons in losing a loved one. This is the 3rd close person to me to pass away due to Cancer in the last year and a half. For me, each time I grow a little stronger from the experience and it makes me feel so very grateful for the friends, family and Community around me. It reminds me to live in this very present moment, we do not know how much time we have or how much time our loved ones have. Soak it up, soak them up – and Love it all.

Once again my path has taken me to see the importance of being able to die in comfort, with dignity and with our loved ones around us. Again I was able to experience the support that we have in the Community. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS FOR GRANTED. We are lucky to live in a part of the world where we do have lots of choices for support. With Palma and her husband they were able to have the nurses visit them 3 times a day, the home support workers came to help with caring for Palma. Delta Hospice Society gave amazing help through their councillors for both of them and I am so very grateful to Delta Hospice Society providing the special air mattresses that alleviate bed sores from happening. These special mattresses cost many thousands of dollars and they loan them out constantly to those in need.
As many of you know Delta Hospice is about to open their new building next month. Palma had done a lot of fundraising for them in both of her jobs. Please consider donating to this very important society at http://www.deltahospice.org

Thank You to all of the Home Care Nurses
Thank You to all of the Home Support people
Thank You to Dr. Sharon Duncan, palliative Doctor
Thank You Dr. Englebrecht, her amazing GP
Thank You to ALL at Delta Hospice Society for your support and guidance.

From all of us at Open Space Yoga, our thoughts go out to her family and close friends. She will be missed, but we were all very lucky to have had her in our lives.

She was a bright spark, a bright spirit and she will be in our hearts forever.
May your journey be peaceful Palma. We love and miss you.

OM Shanti. Michael and the OSY family.

PS UPDATE:
A service for Palma is this Sunday January 17th. 1pm-5pm At Kin House, 5050 47th Avenue, Ladner. All welcome

For those reading our blog for the first time – you may want to read some of her past blog posts from the Summer Yoga challenge (read more below)