The Journey Difference: Our Care Philosophy
Journey Hospice has an outstanding reputation and an uplifting story to tell.
At Journey Hospice, our care philosophy provides the unique approach and personalized attention of a smaller agency combined with the service and professionalism one would expect from a much larger organization.
Journey Hospice is a program of Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey (LSMNJ), a not-for-profit established more than 100 years ago. Journey Hospice is able to call upon LSMNJ’s resources and strong healthcare background while maintaining the agility and flexibility of a small agency.
The Dragonfly
Once in a pond, under the lily pads, there lived a water beetle in a community of water beetles. They lived a simple life with few disturbances. Once in a while, sadness would come to the community when one of their fellow beetles would climb the stem of the lily pad and would not be seen again. They knew when this happened, their friend was gone forever. Then, one day, one little beetle felt an irresistible urge to climb up that stem. However, he was determined he would not leave forever. He would come back and tell his friends what he found at the top.
When he reached the top and climbed out of the water onto the surface of the lily pad, he was so tired, and the sun was so warm, he decided he must take a nap. As he slept, his body changed and when he woke up he had turned into a beautiful blue-tailed dragonfly with broad wings and a slender body designed for flying … so he did! And, as he soared, he saw the beauty of a whole new world and a far superior way of life to what he had ever known existed.
Then he remembered his beetle friends and how they thought he was gone forever. He wanted to go back to tell that them he was now more alive than he had been before he left. His life had not ended, but changed. But, his new body would not go down into the water. He could not get back to tell his friends the good news! Then, he understood that their time would come, when they too would know what he knew. So, he raised his wings and flew off into his joyous new life.
-Author Unknown