Every now and then something happens that reminds you how fortunate you are. It’s too easy to go through life seeing only the negative but every so often we witness something that can flip negativity on its head.
Our residents are a generation who have lived through hardship; most of the things that we moan about today would not have caused the same level of angst 80 years ago. Our residents are of the make do and mend generation, the silent generation who learned from a young age that the only way to navigate their way through this thing called life was together.
During times of crisis people pull together, they look after each other, support each other, this camaraderie has been lost over the years, we saw remnants of it during the pandemic, but it vanished pretty quickly once the worst was over.
This week I took the lovely Nina shopping, she needed a card and some chocolates for her friend who was being admitted to hospital, she wanted to cheer her up, let her know that she was in her thoughts. I was so touched, it’s not that I wasn’t already aware of what a wonderful woman Nina is but just that we get so busy that we don’t always take everything in.
Nina chose her gift and then proceeded to look for some chocolate for the nurses and the other patients on the ward, she wanted to make sure that everyone had a treat. This is a thoughtfulness that is not often witnessed, maybe we are too busy, but it is a thoughtfulness that made me grateful, grateful to work with a generation who regardless of personal circumstances will always think of others before themselves.