The nautilus is often referred to as a living fossil. After surviving almost unchanged for more than 450 million years, it is one of nature’s most perfect creations. It is a symbol of creation, growth, movement, fluidity, and interconnectedness.

The spiral chambers of the nautilus are in perfect mathematical proportion, often referred to as the golden mean. Researchers find that the human eye is drawn to any work of art, architecture, or even a face that has the golden mean proportions.

The nautilus shell, lined with Mother of Pearl, grows into increasingly larger chambers throughout its life, and as such, it has become a symbol for expansion and renewal. The chambers of the nautilus shell are symbolic of the stages each individual passes through in life. We are not the same person today as we were 10 or 20 years ago. We change, we transform, and we renew ourselves over time, just like the nautilus shell that grows new chambers.

Oliver Wendell Holmes reflects on the nautilus shell in his poem, “Chambered Nautilus.” The poet finds a nautilus shell and ponders the life of the animal, venturing into the unknown adventure of life. He considers how as it grows, it moves into a new chamber, each one larger than the last. He compares this to his own life and how he grows from one part of his life to the next, until one day he himself will pass on.

Yet, the nautilus is not a symbol of an end. It is a symbol of life's changes, internal harmony, and the perfection of nature through all the phases of life. Just like all the stages of care one may require throughout a life well lived. 

This is how CareCHOICES views hospice, palliative care and home health services. They are all part of a natural course of events, a time for life to be lived to the fullest, and a time for internal harmony, peace and interconnectedness. Hospice, palliative care and home health services are a lifeline that connects one stage of life to all others, just like the nautilus chambers that are left behind but not forgotten.