Public thanks inspire residents

  • Mother and daughter Angela and Connie Rodgers are both Savannah Court residents. CONTRIBUTED
    Mother and daughter Angela and Connie Rodgers are both Savannah Court residents. CONTRIBUTED
  • Mary Jo Christenot (left) with her sister Helen Bradberry at Savannah Court Lake Oconee. CONTRIBUTED
    Mary Jo Christenot (left) with her sister Helen Bradberry at Savannah Court Lake Oconee. CONTRIBUTED
  • Cathy Bates (left) with Dusty Coleman, appreciated the opportunity to share messages of thanks with her fellow Savannah Court residents. CONTRIBUTED
    Cathy Bates (left) with Dusty Coleman, appreciated the opportunity to share messages of thanks with her fellow Savannah Court residents. CONTRIBUTED
  • Resident Patsy Smith appreciated the gratitude exercise. CONTRIBUTED
    Resident Patsy Smith appreciated the gratitude exercise. CONTRIBUTED
  • Savannah Court resident Robert Kerr shares a message of thanks. CONTRIBUTED
    Savannah Court resident Robert Kerr shares a message of thanks. CONTRIBUTED
  • Savannah Court resident Gene O’Kelley appreciates the opportunity to give thanks. CONTRIBUTED
    Savannah Court resident Gene O’Kelley appreciates the opportunity to give thanks. CONTRIBUTED

    At Greene County’s Walker United Methodist Church, Pastor David Collins challenged those in attendance on Oct. 29 to create a Thanksgiving journal for the next 22 days, starting Nov. 1.

    The objective was to write either a word, several words, a sentence, or even a paragraph a day to designate something that made each participant grateful each day.

    Among the church members attending that day was a resident of Savannah Court Lake Oconee, an assisted living facility south of Greensboro, who thought the idea could be implemented there. It was shared Nov. 1 at lunch in the dining room at Savannah Court, where residents were asked what they were grateful for that day. Those in attendance then voted on which gratitude to select for the day.

    The word or phrase was then put on a strip of posterboard and tacked to the wall for everyone to see. As residents came to the dining room each day, they got to see a growing number of gratitude statements on the wall, which inspired more thought about what each might be grateful for.

    Day by day, residents – without influence from Savannah Court management or staff – shared personal or collective ideas of what they were thankful for. For instance, one resident with a birthday said they were happy for another year of life. Another shared the joy of being informed of a new great-grandchild. One day, maintenance man David Lake repaired the alarm for the dining room door, and everyone cheered, giving thanks for David’s good work. Yet another time, thanks were given after several residents experienced the joy of a pain-free day.

    Other Thanksgiving items included books, rain, sunshine, fall colors, indoor plumbing (as most residents are up in years and remember not having indoor bathrooms), and simply, good health. A bright sunshiny day, precious memories, waking up to another day, and giving thanks to God for being so good were on the list, too.

    And as anticipated early on, thanks were given to family members, friends, and neighbors. Special thanks were given one day to a family that had come to visit. Visits by family and friends are cherished more than anything else at most assisted living facilities.

    Using the month of November to focus on gratitude seems appropriate since our Thanksgiving holiday falls in November. The last gratitude summed up the entire process when all agreed they were blessed to live in a country where Thanksgiving is celebrated in every nook and cranny of every state.

    Positive focus and sincere recognition of gratitude brought the tenants closer together as a community through the Thanksgiving journal at Savannah Court Lake Oconee.