Shining Light on
Seniors Everywhere
Calling all love and light warriors!
Almost everyone I encounter in my life has a story about a cherished loved one who has made an impact on them. Whether it is a parent, grandparent or family friend, we are all impacted by special people in our lives. We also all experience grief and loss. It can be hard to navigate these feelings. One way that I have managed to cope through the years is by revisiting a cherished moment, by either a photo or a piece of memorabilia, I used to bring one of my dad’s shirts on vacation with me to remind me of him when I travelled. Somehow it brought me joy and comfort. My vision for this website is to provide a place for people to share the stories and photos of special loved ones who have left an impression in one way or other. A place that can be revisited time and again when we are missing them. In a time where so much is going on in the world around us, maybe having a place like this will help a person get through a rough time, bring a little joy and perhaps a smile. Let’s shine some light and share the love!
How I met Barbara…
The first story I have to share began many years ago when I was in my twenties. I met Barbara in 1995 after I had just wrapped up a 60 day camping tour of Europe with one of my best friends. Our tour ended in London, UK but I wasn’t ready to go back home to Canada so I stayed behind and was looking for some kind of work which would included room and board. I wasn’t qualified for much and so was limited to casual postings involving home care, light housekeeping and some cooking. At the time, this type of opportunity was fairly common in London and there were several resources aimed at young travelers looking for casual work.
I had answered an ad for a home care giver to an 85 year old lady who lived just outside of the city centre but still on main transit routes. She was walking distance to Putney on the Themes and directly across from Putney Heath. When I first met Barbara the impression I got was that she was very proper, almost stern. She was very regimented in her daily schedule, up at 8, lunch at 1 followed by one gin and bitters, supper at 7 followed by scotch and water. Every day was this way. I had never seen such dedication to routine but it helped me as her caregiver to understand the expectations of my roll to provide her daily meals and care.
The reason I remeniss about Barbara is that in the last few years my attention to the needs of seniors has been top of mind in our family. My grand parents have had to make life decisions about what their last few years looked like, I have worked in senior retirement homes and also currently am living with my mom as she navigates some health concerns and is just wants to live comfortably in her own home rather than the other options available. And what are the options? Well, for one, they are expensive.
Keep the light shining
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”
Robert Frost
“The best way to predict your future is to create it.”
Abraham Lincoln
“Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved.”