I have had a fascination with hummingbirds for quite some time, even before I found my passion for palliative care. Their tiny stature, mighty personality, playful nature, beautiful colour and humble intelligence fascinates me. I found the work that I undertook in the community as a palliative care community worker so valuable and so rewarding that I wanted to express my passion, gratitude and compassion for all of the lovely people that I supported. I wanted to have a constant reminder of my work and contribution in palliative care, and I wanted to remember and commemorate all of my lovely clients in a very personal way. The hummingbird fly’s continuously in order to be rewarded with its sweet nectar, it’s a good reminder for us to enjoy the sweeter side of life. Hummingbirds flap their wings more than 50 times a second, they are fast, and this reminds me of how fast time goes. The hummingbird has a lifespan of only 3-5 years, and this reminds me that time is precious. We can learn from a Hummingbird… as they have abilities that us as humans should aspire to have. Hummingbirds are drawn to beauty; they are creative, and they are known for their dislike of negativity and conflict. They prefer to see the good and they quickly forget wrong doings. I think we can all learn something from this. It’s only been in recent times that I wanted to delve deeper into why I was drawn to the Hummingbird as my tribute tattoo. I wasn’t surprised to find out that this beautiful bird has a strong spiritual and biblical meaning. According to various sources and websites the Hummingbird is sent by the spirit guides to remind us to appreciate life and it’s “little pleasures”. These lovely birds symbolise good luck, joy, prosperity and most importantly freedom, for in a palliative sense the person is free from their pain and suffering that their earthly body could no longer endure. In a biblical sense “This tiny bird can be seen as a messenger from the other side, bringing love and good news from heaven from loved ones who have passed.” The traits, spiritual and biblical meaning of the Hummingbird provides me with ease and comfort. It has turned out to be the perfect symbol for me to acknowledge my passion and to be a proud advocate for palliative care. The colourful graphic design image is something that I worked on with my cousin Sarah as our first collaboration. I wanted to represent and display what palliative care means to me personally and what better way to present it than with my much-loved outline of the Hummingbird. Sarah turned my thoughts, words and vision into just what I was looking for. Warm Regards Kellie Cooper-Smith {Founder of Your Journey, Your Way}
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