POTSDAM -- Hospice and Palliative Care of St. Lawrence Valley invites community members to the first meeting of its quarterly book discussion group Wednesday, March 15, from 5-6:30 p.m.

The meeting will take place at the Hospice Center, 6805 U.S. Highway 11.

Participants of the group will discuss books on issues related to aging, illness, caregiving and end-of-life. Linda Caamaño, Hospice volunteer manager, will facilitate the group. She says her reason behind creating the book club was because “these are all real issues everyone has dealt with, are dealing with, or will deal with at some point in the future.”

The first book selection is “The Four Things that Matter Most” by Ira Byock, MD. In “The Four Things that Matter Most,” Dr. Byock explains how we can practice these life-affirming words in our day-to-day lives and improve our emotional well-being: “Please forgive me,” “I forgive you,” “Thank you” and “I love you.”

Dr. Byock demonstrates the value of “stating the obvious” in letting the people we love know that we love them. He provides practical insights into the benefits of letting go of old grudges and toxic emotions. Dr. Byock is an international leader in palliative care and is the founder and chief medical officer of the Providence Health & Services Institute for Human Caring in Torrance, Calif.

Interested individuals are asked to register by contacting Linda at 315-265-3105, or lcaamano@hospiceslv.org. The group is free to register; participants are responsible for obtaining their own books.