Silver Maples resident Ruth Barnard, Ph.D., retired from the University of Michigan School of Nursing faculty in 2000. An active member of First Presbyterian Church in Ann Arbor, Ruth’s pastor approached her shortly after with an important question: “Could a school of nursing be built in Haiti?” Ruth replied, “Sure!” His next question required a […]
Granny and grandpa. Grandpa and nana. Papa and oma. We may use different names, but one thing crosses all cultures: grandparents play an irreplaceable role in our lives and our hearts. Many of us can recount memories of talking with grandma about what she did “back in the day,” or stories of grandpa, from his […]
Did you know that in the 1800’s, flowers each had a different meaning and were also used to symbolize emotions? Common books found in Victorian era homes discussed the, “Language of Flowers” (Smithsonian Gardens, n.d.). Within the books, every flower was given a specific meaning. For example, bluebells symbolized kindness, rosemary conveyed remembrance, and tulips […]
Maybe you’ve heard this term before, maybe you haven’t. The “Sandwich Generation” is defined as adults who are still caring for their children and already caring for their parents—hence they are “sandwiched” between two caregiver roles. We expect to take care of our parents, and we expect to raise and take care of our kids, […]
Most people don’t love moving. It takes a lot of time, boxes, tape, bags, and helping hands. It also requires us to go through all our things… including our junk. We all have that stuff we hang onto. That sweater we haven’t worn in four years because it no longer fits. Our 72 issues of […]
“The secret of helping the senior population is finding out what they are passionate about, and then offering opportunities to follow those passions,” said 76-year-old Julia Strimer, participant of the Artful Aging Theater class at Chelsea Retirement Community. For Julia, this passion is theater. “I’ve loved the arts my whole life,” Julia said. “When you […]
Perhaps the care your loved one needs has become more than you can give. Or, perhaps you aren’t the caregiver and aren’t in a place where you can become one. You want to to be confident that this is the right choice for the one you love. Sometimes a loss, an illness or other life […]
We all have dreams and “someday” goals. Someday, I will travel to Thailand and swim with elephants. Someday, I’ll open my own business. Someday, I’ll go on a road trip across the United States. Someday, I’ll go to an airport, pick the next departing flight, buy a ticket, and go! Someday, I’ll write a book. […]
You’ve finally put the baby to bed. Three hours later, he’s up. He’s antsy and crying. You snuggle him back to sleep. Two hours later, he’s up again, and he’s hungry. You feed him and put him back to bed. You settle into bed for some nice REM sleep when, 90 minutes later, you wake […]
“Let your house be messy, and go play laser tag with your kids,” said Pam Kaufmann, mother of two boys. “Make sure you take the time to have fun with them; they grow up so fast—too fast.” Pam is an active and vivacious person whose energy and enthusiasm for life is contagious. As the mother […]
