Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!
In a few weeks, my family will gather once again to celebrate Christmas. We will share meals. Presents will be exchanged. My guess is my kids will make a couple presents for their grandmas and grandpas. Many of us will travel to church for a Christmas Eve service. Some team members at Skylark also celebrate Hanukkah. I’m told that in the Jewish traditions, it is also a time for significant family gatherings.
When families gather, we are reminded of our love for one another. Yet, for many it is a time of stress: too many parties, too many presents, and too much family. For some, there is a sense of obligation to bring everyone together rather than enjoy each other’s company.
Over the last 10 years serving the Johns Creek, Atlanta, and surrounding communities, I’ve come to know many different families. They have come to the point where they are searching out professional help to care for husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and, occasionally, children. Some have come to a greater appreciation of a mother or father. Others learn the true meaning of family as they heroically care for a family member, who was not always so loving. It’s been a remarkable privilege to walk with these families.
Our families inspire to improve and become better. When we changed our name earlier this fall, we changed our mission statement. It is now “Inspiring freedom, hope, and joy in our elders and those who care for them.” Caring for a loved one can be stressful. The smiles are few and far between. Yet, the day center and some extra help often brings a smile in a most stressful time.
It’s been an exciting time for us. New friends. New associates. New Name and identity. We hope during it all, you recognize our commitment to be excellent partners in caring and completely focused on individualized care for your loved one. We don’t want that to change.
In the coming weeks and months, we’ll have some changes that will make for an improved experience. Both centers are scheduled for a face lift with new floors, carpet, and paint. We’re committed to improving services and are in the process of implementing new technology to help manage the center, which should give us more resources to focus on our members.
