The Pandemic has been very difficult for most of us. As if subdued by an occupying army, the majority of us have hunkered down and sought to protect ourselves from the multitude of threats that are daily broadcast at us. One person who has cut against this grain is my sister-in-law, who instead of closing herself to the world chose to throw herself into it, working three jobs in the service of others. Here are some fragments from her work life:

Thank You, Kind Regards, Me

Dear Kitty,

Thank you for choosing me to be your teacher today. It was so lovely to meet you Kitty. You are a smart girl. You did an amazing job in class today. GOGOkid.

Today we learned the words [cat, dog, fish]. Kitty you did a fantastic job learning each word. You were able to pronounce each word correctly. I am impressed.

Further, we learned to sentences [I see a dog], [this is a cat], [it is a big fish]. Wow Kitty, you were so determined to say each sentence. You did a wonderful job repeating each sentence correctly. Way to go.

Finally, you impressed me how well you could pay attention, circle objects and choose the correct pictures when asked. You are a super star.

Kitty I am thankful to be your teacher today. I enjoyed your enthusiasm and bright spirit. It was an honour to teach you this lesson. I can’t wait to see you in my next class.

Kitty did an awesome job and earned all of her GEMS ????? and 5 ice creams.

Thank you for sharing class with me!

Kind Regards,

Teacher Sommer

Dear Guest,

Thank you for dining with us today on your 50th wedding anniversary. Wow. That is amazing! Thank you for being awesome guests. It was so lovely to meet you and a pleasure to serve you.

I am so happy you enjoyed the dishes I recommend to you. Our famous calamari, chicken parmesan with house-made pasta, and of course our delicious deep friend french toast with rum banana jam creme caramel. These are all fan favorites and MY favorites.

It was fun to walk around the restaurant with you to show you all of the sport memorabilia on the walls and talk about how the restaurant came to be. Isn’t there so much cool history in this building?

I wish you both an amazing year and hope to see you for your 51st anniversary.

Again, it was so lovely to meet you. And thanks again for coming to see us.

Thank you and take care,

Sommer – Hospitality Server

Sommer: Morning Mary. How are you today?

Mary: I am good girl. How are you? I love that sweater. So fancy.

Sommer: Thanks Mary. You always look good yourself. Loving your hair clip today. Suits you.

Mary: Ah, geeze. Thanks. My granddaughter gave me it for my birthday. So how are you today? What’s up? What are we doing today?

Sommer: It’s Bingo day. WOOT WOOT. You better come Mary. I have a feeling you are going to WIN. And, you are always so helpful. Anyway, I am pretty good. Just feeling a bit tired and overwhelmed with everything that is going on in the world. It can sometimes be emotionally exhausting.

Mary: I hear you. But, we just all have to keep moving forward. We are going to get through it. The most important thing in life is SELF CARE. You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others.

Sommer: Mary. You are so correct. I love that. Self care. Have you lived by that rule your whole life?

Mary: YES. I am 92 years old. I can walk, talk and take care of myself. From the moment I wake up I stay busy. I call family, color, do puzzles, chat with other residents, take naps and crochet gifts for people.

Sommer: Mary! You are 92? WOW! I honestly would have NEVER guessed that. You amaze me Mary.

Mary: Ah, thanks girl. You all do a pretty darn good job taking care of us. So thank you for that.

Sommer. Mary. Thank you for this conversation. I totally needed it today. Ah. You just inspire me so much. Self care. So simple. Amazing. Well, see you at Bingo.

Sommer – Recreation Therapist