There’s a quiet truth many of us don’t realize until something stops us in our tracks:

We spend so much time trying to extend life…that we forget to live it.

This month’s Life’s Big Moments conversation invites us into something deeper.

Because in the end, it’s not the length of our lives that defines us, it’s the depth of how we show up inside them.

Now, Not Someday

After her diagnosis, Sheri wanted to experience something meaningful.

Not someday.
Not eventually.
Now.

With the support of her Hospice of Michigan care team and the Gestures of Grace fund, that dream didn’t stay a conversation.

Her dream to skydive became a reality.

The Life We’re Waiting For

So many of us are living for later.

When things slow down.
When life feels easier.
When the timing is right.

But in doing that…we quietly turn today into something to get through instead of something to fully live inside.

Sheri’s story gently interrupts that pattern.

What Happens When You Say Yes

There’s fear in change.
There’s uncertainty.
But there’s also something exciting about trying something new and facing our fears:

Freedom.
Joy.
Aliveness.

“Sometimes we hesitate and say, ‘Oh, I’m not going to do that—it scares me,’ but when you do it—wow…what freedom, what life, what joy.”
-Christine Woloszyk, Sheri’s Hospice of Michigan Social Worker

Taking the Leap

What Sheri did wasn’t just about jumping out of a plane.

It was about something we all recognize, the moment we stand at the edge of something and decide whether to step forward…or step back.

“It’s so metaphorical… symbolic for taking the leap of faith in whatever we’re doing in life.”  -Christine Woloszyk, Sheri’s Hospice of Michigan Social Worker

We often measure life by milestones, achievements, timelines, and productivity. A full life is rarely built on more of these things.

It is built on:

• Presence
• Connection
• Courage
• Small, intentional choices

Living fully doesn’t require a complete reinvention.

Sometimes it’s simply:

• saying yes when you’d normally say no
• slowing down long enough to notice
• choosing what actually matters

The Moments That Change Everything

What makes life meaningful is often the things no one else sees:

• a conversation you didn’t rush
• a hand you held a little longer
• a choice to be present instead of distracted

These are the moments that quietly shape a life. And sometimes…they begin with simply deciding:

I want more life in my days.

After the Skydive

After the fear gave way to something else entirely, there was clarity in Sheri’s words:

“That was amazing.”

And when asked if she would do it again?

“Oh, yeah.”

Questions Worth Sitting With

What are you waiting for?

What is your version of the skydive?

And what would it look like… to live more life in your days starting now?

Stop waiting.

Start living.

More Than Care—A Path to Living

Choosing hospice or palliative care earlier doesn’t just provide support, it opens the door to living.

With a dedicated team managing symptoms, coordination, and care, patients are free to focus on what matters most:

comfort, connection, and meaningful moments.

And for caregivers, it creates space to step out of constant crisis mode and back into being present

as a spouse,
a child,
a friend

able to simply be together, while our care team carries the weight of the rest.

Continue the Conversation

Watch Sheri’s Life’s Big Moments story—and reflect on what it means to truly live inside your days.

Would you like to better understand hospice and palliative care?
Explore our guide comparing the two here.

If this story moved you, share it with someone who will also feel inspired by it.

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