by Carolyn L. Brown from our Riverside Court location in Woodstock, NB.

The days are going by so quickly I am constantly asking myself, “What did I forget?” We hustled through spring and now want to bring summer to a screeching halt but it doesn’t look like that is about to happen. We are richly blessed by all things green and lush as evidenced by the raised planters our gardening club tends to. Groundhogs and deer, be forewarned, you’re at risk if you venture near the planters!!

Life continues to be exciting around“ the big yellow house”. We had a resident this morning thrilled to be heading with friends to the airport in Fredericton where she meets her grandson and they will fly to Ottawa to a wedding and return by car later in the weekend. Another resident is off with a friend on a bus trip while others are excited about special visitors and family activities. Me, well, let me see…hmmm…going home and whether it is raining, or not, I am sitting for some time on my back deck admiring the flowers and watching the birds. Then, maybe, and I said “Maybe”, I will tidy up the house some and then I can hear myself saying to my husband “Take me to the woods!” There’s just something about nature and the outdoors that speaks to me as nothing else can.

I just had a resident come to see me this morning and the point of her visit was to express her appreciation and thanks to our Dietary staff who made a special breakfast for her and a couple of cousins and her son on the Canada Holiday Monday, early morning. Her cousins were heading back home after a Memorial Service and that was the only opportunity they would have to be together for a bit so with some advance notice, we made it happen. Those, in particular, are the moments when we clearly recognize the way our Riverside Court staff can step up to the plate. We can’t say enough about how important that is to our residents and we see it daily. I have witnessed housekeeping busy with their daily routines only to be approached by a resident about needing help and drop all they are doing to assist. All that to say it is not unique to Dietary, Housekeeping, Front Desk, Health Care, Maintenance, Management or Activities. I have personally witnessed it from every Department.

So this month we say Thank You to our staff. We know there are never enough hours to always get everything done, but we clearly see evidence of what it means to serve someone in need. Many acts of greatness start with some small act of kindness and in that whole process, you nourish your own heart. Stop and think about why the residents seek you out for any given task. It’s because they see and know where your talents lie, what your gifts are and where your heart is.

So, on behalf of us all, thank you, MacLeod Riverside Staff, for all you do!!!