The families of those served by Cahaba Hospice in Selma gathered Thursday night at the St. James to remember those who were lost in the past year

Dr. Sam Saliba, a well-known physician in Selma who now practices in Montgomery, was the guest speaker for the program. Saliba shared personal stories of dealing with loss in his personal life to guide the families through their grieving period.

Though he is now in the capital city, Saliba said his heart remained in the Queen City.

“I don’t feel like I ever really left Selma,” he said. “As they say, you can take the boy out of Selma, but you can’t take Selma out of the boy.”

It’s important, Saliba said, to celebrate our entire lives and give later years just as much attention as early years.

“The most important thing we can do in our life is honor the entirety of life,” he said.

“From birth, until we depart this world.”

This concept, Saliba said, is one of the reasons hospice care was established. Hospice, he said, allows the medical world to provide patients with comfort and dignity in their final years.

This was not always the case, Saliba said. But, through research and planning, programs like Cahaba Hospice became a reality.

“We got educated and we got sound advice and now we have hospice care,” he said.

Saliba closed by encouraging the families of lost loved ones to keep their memories and stories alive for generations to come.

“With time, you will see that our loved ones are here with us forever,” he said. “I want you to cling to the love that is in your heart.

“I want you to embrace the beautiful memories and pass that along to the next generation. Our children can live under the wonderful influence of those we have lost this year.”