Administrator's Desk

Happy Fall everyone!  Can you believe fall is already here?  Fall is my favorite season, I love the colors, the cool air, and the memories that I treasure from younger years.  Camping, Campfire Girls, marshmallow roasts, football season, cutting wood, hauling it into the furnace room were some of my many memories.  As you can imagine some of these memories are better than others. 

As we change seasons, I like to reflect on our lives and the different seasons we go through.  Maybe you are a family member, resident, or friend.   Each of us has our own set of treasured memories but everyone likes to reminisce and share about “the good ole’ days.”

Regardless of where you are in your life, I encourage you to ask a friend, a fellow resident, or a loved one about their memories. For some family members it is hard to visit because they don’t know what to talk about. For some residents it is difficult to be asked a direct question, such as “Do you remember…”  I encourage you to think of a list of things you enjoy about the person you are visiting and rephrase your question into a statement such as below:

Speaking to a friend: “We had some good times camping at Backbone.  We spent 3 weekends a year there together.”  Begin telling the story and see what your loved one will have to add.

Speaking to grandma: “You made the best green beans!  I loved going to the garden, picking them, snapping them, and putting them in the jars.”  Quickly the conversation can brighten a person’s day knowing you treasured them then and still treasure fond memories today.  You will be surprised how much they can recall (the recipe, the mess, the other canning work)!

Speaking to your parent: “I think it is good for kids to have chores.  As much as I didn’t want to chop or haul wood, I sure appreciated the heat and remember a lot of laughs. I remember when we found the litter of kittens in the woodpile?” 

Think of what you enjoy about the person you are visiting.  We can all make a positive impact in the lives around us. Take time to treasure this season of life! 

Blessings to you,

Cheri Orcutt

Administrator