Being remembered

 It is always nice to know when I've made a difference in someone's life at work.  I love my residents.  We all love our residents.  It's even our motto at work:  Making a Difference Every Day. I have to say this every time I answer the phone but that is something for another blog. However, there will always be residents that we connect to more than others.  One of mine was a resident named Nancy.  Nancy and I just clicked.  She could be very particular, and some would label her as difficult, but I did not.  She was a resident that was going to get exactly what she paid for.  And if she did not get that, then she was going to call us out on it.  I totally get that.

One day Nancy and I started talking about antiques.  She had one of the most beautiful writing desks in her living room. One day when I was in her apartment I commented on it, and we just started talking about antiques and everything went from there. It became one of our things.  I got to know her daughter and son-in-law pretty well over the years.  They would come to visit several times each week.  Well, Nancy ended up needing more care and eventually moved to another community. 

Several weeks ago, I received a call from one of Nancy's relatives.  Of course, my mind went to the worst possible scenario and was prepared to hear that Nancy had passed away.  When you work in senior living, this is not an uncommon occurrence, so my reaction is not out of the ordinary. Thankfully, this was not the case.  She was calling because Nancy was going to be having her 100th birthday party.  I was one of the people at Heritage Greens that she wanted to attend the party.  That made my day.  The fact that she remembered me and wanted me there to celebrate her life.  It reminded me that my job is not just a job. These connections are important, and they last beyond someone's time at our community.

So, this afternoon, I will drive to Brookdale and help Nancy and her family celebrate Nancy's 100th birthday. I am sure I will run into other people from my job because many of us made a difference. It was good for me to know that what I do does impact other people in a good way and they appreciate me as much as I appreciate them.  That is all.