My time
with Best Friends is coming to an end. The time I have spent at this facility
has really affected my experience here at the University of Kentucky for the
better. The participants have shown me many things. They have shown me that
being happy is the most important thing in life. They have certainly showed me
that you are never too old to be ornery or to bust a movie to a catchy song.
Every time that I have visited the Best Friends Day Center I have laughed and I
have learned something new. I also don’t think I have ever done a sing along
every Friday afternoon before, but I find that I like them. The participants
are always so grateful for any help that we can offer and really they just
enjoy talking to us and telling us all about their business.
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| The birds in the main room also got to enjoy the music. |
This past
Friday was a special day in that a man and a woman who offer their time once a
month to come and put on a little concert for the Best Friends Day Center came
while I was there. They sang everything from famous country songs to well-known
hymns and they definitely got the participants dancing. After helping the
performers carry in their supplies I visited with the residents while they set up,
and then it was time to dance. They really went all out in their set up. They
had a keyboard, and a guitar with speakers so that the sound was strong and
clear in the main room. By the second song, over half of the people in the room
were up and dancing. Since most of the participants need a little help with
their balance, I got the privilege of dancing with several different people.
Once again, they surprised me with their memorization of the songs and they
belted them out and tapped their feet along with the music. Even the residents
that normally don’t get involved with the activities were tapping out a beat
and singing along. The performers were a huge success and after helping them pack
up I got a chance to talk with one of the men that I haven’t had the chance to
yet and I genuinely enjoyed speaking with him.
One of
the men that is normally quiet pulled me aside after the performers left and asked
me if I would help him pick some flowers for his wife. He explained that he
always liked to bring his wife flowers because that was the way to a woman’s
heart. I thought it was wonderful and touching that he wanted to get something
for his wife so with the permission of the directors I helped him gather some
flowers from other vases around the building. He was very pleased with the
resulting bouquet and kept saying how happy his wife would be when he gave it
to her. I wished that I could have been there when he did, and I can only hope
that I find someone who will always want to do small things like that for me,
no matter what is going on in our lives. I look forward to my last visit with
the residents this Friday and I will truly miss them and all the entertainment
they have brought to my life these last several weeks.
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| The facility that Best Friends is a part of. |
The ability of the elderly to love is quite beautiful. Whenever I talk to somebody older than myself they seem to repeat the same thing when prompted. They may not have thought so at first but relationships and the people in your life are the most important thing. Perhaps this explains the sense of community that may be found in the older population, where being together is more important than any individual achievements (though those are still celebrated). Music is often a fun activity that depends on and strengthens that sense of community. Do you feel like you have become a part of their community, or do you feel somewhat removed from them due to the differences in your lives? Also, because I can't remove the amusing image of them dancing to "Shake it off" from my head, do they listen and dance to any newer music?
ReplyDeleteI do feel like I'm part of their community! They seem to think that it is their job to tell me everything that could possibly happen to me during my life as well as give advice about all areas of my life. However, I also notice that they always look at each other after referencing something that happened a really long time ago, when they were young, and laughing to each other because they know that I have no idea what they are talking about. So far all I have heard them dancing and singing to are classics, although I'm sure that some of the more ornery participants would get their groove on to anything that has a beat!
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