Happy Fall!

It is a beautiful day in the neighborhood today!  The sun is shining, Dahlia’s are blooming and the leaves are beautiful!  As if that were not enough, we have a baby on our team!  Those of you that follow us on Facebook, already know that Ruthie, our Art & Activity Therapist, Social Media Woman, chief lunch cook is also Mom to Leon!  And I am thrilled to be Leon’s Grandma!  Our intergenerational family of friends work model now includes baby Leon!  And what joy he brings to all of us! There is nothing like locking eyes with a baby who suddenly surprises you with a smile!  A smile of pure joy and trust.  Lucky little Leon receives loving smiles and sweet talk from every resident and household worker at Hope & A Future. So we are all blessed with sunshine inside and out!

A much loved volunteer, Mary Mayo came for a distanced visit this week.  She said, “What a wonderful time for Leon to be born! No matter what is going on in the world, everyone in the house is filled with joy when he arrives!  What a gift!”  She is so right!  And that is a beautiful picture of the value of
intergenerational life.  Older adults enjoy the innocence and promise of new life, while the baby enjoys endless attention and love from diverse admirers!  And the admirers are refreshed by his presence!  Each new developmental milestone brings joy and applause!  Memories and nurturing behavior come to the surface and we enjoy each person’s joy as they spend time with little Leon!  

Each day really is a gift for all of us.  Knowing how to enjoy each moment is natural for a well fed, clean and rested baby! As we age, if we are not careful, the discomforts and annoyances of life can take too much of our attention.  We often say that there is nothing like the joy of a little one to remind you to enjoy the moments passing by!  I will add that there is also nothing like enjoying life’s simplest pleasures with an older adult.  When the trappings of life have become less important, that same spontaneous joy can return.  When we remember to enjoy the sound of laughter, the sparkle in smiling eyes, and the little and big wonders of nature like the sound of the wind in falling leaves–then we are in that same magical moment of locking eyes with a smiling baby.  That is a skill that the young and old can remind us to practice.  If you are going through a dark patch in life, I suggest you go find a child or a loving older person to spend some time with.  I pray you will have magical intergenerational moments today–they are the best!  

Here’s to loving intergenerational life!

Please share your happy moments with us!  Those stories are food for the soul!

Karin