With many of you here at Kirby I’ve had fear that someday people, talking behind my back, would accuse me of being childish. The dictionary defines childish as having “immaturity and lack of poise.“ As an 88 year old, I certainly didn’t want to appear “immature.” And goodness knows, I have privately considered myself as having poise.
Being a “person of the Book,” I remember that, when he became an ardent follower of Jesus, Paul said, I put away childish ways. However, I was forced into putting that in sharper perspective when I remembered Jesus’ word: “Let the little children come to me, for to such belongs the Kingdom of heaven.”
I’ve had to conclude that there is a difference between childish and childlike… Rather than having “immaturity and lack of poise” as the dictionary defines childish ,“ childlike is “marked by innocence, trust, and simplicity.”
No wonder I like Eric Marshall and Stuart Hamphill’s Children’s Letters to God. One little boy prayed, “Dear God, I’m sorry I was late for Sunday School, I couldn’t find my underwear.” And another little boy prayed, “Dear God, please tell me where everybody came from, and I hope you explain it better than my daddy did.” Children are open and alive. They have a perception that we adults seem to have lost. Best of all they have the capacity of what I call living lightly. They’re not burdened down by preconception. Their lives are not predetermined by force of habit. They’re not closed to others because of sour experiences. They don’t keep grudges.
So for God’s sake, and for our community’s sake, let’s not be childish. Let’s pray and work hard at being childlike.
Describe yourself in five words: Very kind and love to help others.
What do you do for fun: Go to the movies.
What are some of your hobbies: Making my car look great.
What is your favorite thing about your job: Love to make things look good.
What is your favorite food: Meatloaf.
What is your favorite song: Stevie Wonder – Happy Birthday.
What is something you are proud of:My parents.
What would you like people to know about you:I’m very kind.
Willie Knight works extremely hard for a department that stands alone in what they do. He has perfect attendance and always works above and beyond what is expected of him. He has a wonderful work ethic and never complains. We are proud and lucky to have Willie in the Maintenance Department.
Rhino and Zadye is a children’s story written by Michael Gilbert, which teaches children about the rhinoceros and the conservation of the species. Michael has devoted his life to educating others and parenting his four children while enjoying the sports of soccer and golf. His current goals are to continue writing for children and adults, increase his skills in photography, and improve his game of golf. As with all people, Michael’s life was shaped by the experiences of his childhood.
Michael was born in Brooklyn, New York. His grandparents and great-grandparents immigrated to America from England and Austro-Hungary. However, according to Michael’s great-grandmother, many ancestors perished in the Holocaust. The community of Brooklyn was comprised of Jewish families from Eastern Europe and Italian Catholics. According to Michael, “It was a nice blend of different cultures and religions.”
Unfortunately, Michael’s mother died when he was five years old. His father remarried, and a more stable life resumed for a while. At the age of thirteen, Michael was enrolled in a private boarding school near Princeton, New Jersey. Michael says the experiences at the Peddie School laid a solid foundation for his future life. Soccer became a favorite sport. Following graduation from Peddie School, Michael enrolled in Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English composition in 1966. Michael moved to the South to enroll in a Master of Arts in teaching at Emory University, from which he graduated in 1967. The internship part of the program opened doors for a career in education.
Michael began his teaching career in the inner city of Atlanta. During this time, Michael participated in an administrative career program at the University of Georgia and was recruited into their Doctor of Education degree program, from which he graduated in 1973. Moving from Atlanta to Athens, Georgia, Michael served as an elementary school principal before moving to Savannah, Georgia as a central-office administrator in the schools. Following that work, he was hired into a Bilingual/Cross-Cultural Education doctoral program as a faculty member at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. He also served as director of the Bureau of Educational Research and Field Services during his ten years at UCP. This was followed by thirteen years at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock, and finally, fifteen years at Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Michael retired as Professor Emeritus in 2013 and moved to North Carolina where he continued his consultant work.
Obviously, education has played an important role in Michael’s life. He has authored three books and multiple articles, and given many consultancies nationally and internationally. He has served as teacher and director of religious education in three congregations at various times while also holding other full-time positions in education. Becoming certified in communication and listening models resulted in a special emphasis in Michael’s work and research through the years. His focus was to improve preparation programs for educational leaders by including additional curricula on interpersonal relationships. According to Michael, this has not occurred to any degree as “Old ways are difficult to change.”
Michael has an extensive travel history. He says that many of his opportunities for travel were the result of his work. “It was a lot easier when someone else was paying the expenses!” admits Michael. His favorite countries are Portugal, Scotland, and Japan. The most fun was golfing and whisky tasting in Scotland. The most moving was the visit to the Wallenberg Memorial Garden at the Dohany Synagogue in Budapest. The memorial, according to Michael, resembles a willow tree with each leaf bearing the name of one of the thousands of Hungarian Jews who were killed by the Nazis.
2005 Division 1 Soccer Match
Michael has loved soccer for most of his life. In addition to playing as a youngster, he refereed soccer for forty years. According to Michael, many soccer teams are coached or refereed by someone who has never played. Since 1990, Michael has given much time in assisting referees to improve their officiating skills.
While living in North Carolina, Michael served as an advocate in the courts for children removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect. Michael says, “It was heart-rending to see the problems that resulted in the children being removed from the home. Often adoption seemed to be the best option.
Michael is a father to four children, one son and three daughters, and grandfather to seven. His son lives in Memphis and his grandson Max will soon graduate from Lausanne Collegiate School. Max has been heavily recruited for his skill as a place-kicker. Look for him to be a starter on the University of Tennessee football team this Fall! Michael says, “I feel my greatest reward in life has been to see my children become independent contributing adults. I am so proud of all of them.”
Michael made the decision to move to Kirby Pines in 2022 because he wanted to be near his family and to relieve them from having to make decisions concerning his future care. Since moving to Kirby, Michael enjoys playing golf three days a week and playing poker with a group of Kirby Pines residents. He belongs to the Photography Club and enjoys using his iPhone along with a regular camera.
Michael chose one of the beautiful Garden Homes as his residence. Free of house maintenance and yard work, Michael is able to enjoy the amenities of Kirby Pines.
It’s a well-known fact that regular physical activity is beneficial. It strengthens bones and muscles, combats health conditions and diseases, improves mood, boosts energy and makes you feel better. Another benefit to physical activity is the positive impact it has on your brain!
Being physically active improves cognitive health – it can improve the way you think, learn, problem-solve, and help you enjoy an emotional balance. Exercising can also improve your memory, reduce anxiety, and even help improve your quality of sleep. And here’s the best part – ANY amount of physical activity has been shown to be beneficial.
Some of the effects of exercise on brain health happen immediately, meaning they occur during exercise or shortly thereafter, such as a reduced feeling of anxiety, improved sleep, and improved aspects of cognitive function. With regular physical activity, other long-term benefits occur, such as improvements in executive function (the ability to plan and organize, initiate tasks, control emotions), deep sleep, and more long-term anxiety management.
What Can You Do?
Being active might be easier than you think. Here are some ideas for how to stay active throughout the day. Remember – every little bit counts!
Daily Chores – what might count as physical activity? Cleaning, gardening, laundry, and other household chores can count as activity for the day! If it’s getting you up and moving, it certainly counts.
Be Active While Watching TV – think of ways to be active to reduce the amount of sedentary time in the day. Keep a list of activities, such as arm circles, marching in place, or leg kicks, to do during commercial breaks, while watching your favorite shows.
Walk – walking is one of the simplest and most effective things we can do. Walk your dog, walk with a friend, walk to get the mail. Take the long way to get to dinner. Walk two times around the lake. Think of ways to get extra steps in!
The pros of exercise are countless. The next time you attend an exercise or dancing class, talk a walk, or a dip in the pool, remember you are improving your physical health, and your cognitive health!
If you need help determining which exercises might be best for you to, reach out to the Functional Pathways Therapy Team and we will be happy to help guide you!
Remember that old love song from the 60’s. Taking care of yourself for the one you love may be just the motivation you need to begin a healthier you.
Care giving for a loved one can be one of life’s most draining experiences: affecting mind, body and soul. To counter this, set personal health goals. For example, set a goal to find time to be physically active on most days of the week, or set a goal for getting a good night’s sleep. It’s also crucial to eat a healthy diet. When caregivers understand that, there can be a tremendous sense of relief that allows them to set more realistic goals. Remember these keys to keep depression at bay:
Maintain a life outside of care giving. Stay connected to friends. Don’t give up your daily routines. Maintain your health. Get regular check-ups, eat a balanced diet, and exercise. Exercise. It un-kinks tense muscles, revs up the cardiovascular system, and floods the brain with feel-good chemicals, such as endorphins. Use simple de-stressing techniques. Deep breathing, muscle relaxation, meditation, and self-massage. And laugh. “People don’t think of humor as a way to cope with stress, but they should”. Join a support group. In support groups, you validate your role as caregiver, voice your fears, vent your frustrations, and learn coping strategies and techniques.
“Exercise is an antidote to aging,” says Barry A. Franklin, PhD, director of the cardiac rehabilitation and exercise labs at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, MI. A well-rounded routine, as part of a healthy lifestyle, may help you avoid things like falls, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Experts say many of the conditions people think are due to getting older have more to do with not moving enough.
At any age, these are the types of exercise you want to get:
Aerobic: good for your heart and lungs. It’s also good for your blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, sleep, and memory. What to do: You can walk briskly, walk in the water, or do any other activity that gets your heart rate up.
Strength training: good for your muscles and bones. It’s the principle of “use it or lose it.” What to do: Start with 2-pound hand weights or resistance stretch bands.
Flexibility and balance: helps prevent falls by stretching your muscles and keep them from stiffening up. What to do: Yoga and tai chi are good for both. You can also learn balance exercises in senior fitness classes or from a personal trainer.
Whatever you do, start at a medium pace, where you move a little bit but can still hold a conversation. Aim for 30 minutes a day and build up to that, even if you start with just 5 minutes at a time.
We have everything you need right here at Kirby Pines. Check out the Oasis for exercise equipment or join one of our exercise classes. Setting healthy goals for yourself can be “Dedicated to the ones you love.”
It was hard to believe: 162-year sentence deemed excessive. That was the headline (Commercial Appeal, Dec. 16, 2022). The story was of a man, Courtney Anderson, who in 2020 was sentenced to 162 years in prison for repeated non-violent offenses. I found it difficult to believe the story, but it happened here in Memphis. Discovering that inhumane action on the part of a judge, District Attorney Steve Mulroy said, “It made me sick to my stomach when I saw what had occurred in this case.”
Anderson explained to the judge that his theft and fraud offenses were tied to a cocaine addiction. He has been sober for decades. Mulroy’s office and Anderson’s defense attorney worked with the court and his sentence was reduced to 15 years. He was released because he had already served the sentence. Now, at 54 years old Anderson is free.
I read that story and tried to put myself in Anderson’s place. On the beginning of this new year, I’m wondering what Anderson is going to do with the rest of his life? The larger question is, What are we going to do with the time we have?
Psalms 90, one of my favorites, deals with time and what we are doing with it. In the midst of it, there is this chunk of significant wisdom: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Keeping that in mind and anticipating this new year there are some thoughts I’ve had and decisions I’ve made.
I’m going to guard against giving in to procrastination. How much of the good and the beautiful, the exciting and the positive, never happens because we procrastinate to the point that the opportunity spends itself. William James, the distinguished psychologist, gave us some saving advice when he said, “Seek the first possible opportunity to act on every good resolution you make.” So, I’m going to resist the temptation to procrastinate.
Two, I’m not going to use age as an excuse. Being on Social Security doesn’t give us the right to be inconsiderate, nasty or cantankerous. And nowhere along the way is there an excuse for being less than the loving and lovable person God and others would have us be.
That’s one level of the problem of using growing old as an excuse. – Another level has to do with using age as an excuse for being less capable and less useful. I know that energy wanes with age. I know that there is a healthy slowing down that ought to be affirmed and celebrated, but I’m talking about something else. I’m talking about the common myth that says as we grow old, we automatically become less capable and useful.
At 94, Bertrand Russell led international peace drives; at 93, George Bernard Shaw wrote the play, Farfetched Fables at 91. At 89, Albert Schweitzer headed a hospital in Africa.
So, let’s not use growing old as an excuse not to be capable and useful.
Describe your family: Happy, intelligent, loving and understanding.
Describe yourself in five words: Happy, dedicated, helpful and willing to take on any task.
What do you do for fun: Reading, shopping, spending time with family.
What are some of your hobbies: Playing my flute.
What is your favorite thing about your job: Seeing and taking care of my residents makes me smile.
What is your favorite food: Seafood and Japanese.
What is your favorite song: I love all music.
What is something you are proud of:My kids, all four of them.
What would you like people to know about you:I love life, my family, myself, my job and my faith.
Genese, takes good care of the residents, very caring and dedicated. She is a team player and a hard worker. She takes initiative and always goes the extra mile with a positive attitude. She helps residents wanting to attend special programs in getting them there and also knowing their interests and what is available to them. Thank you Genese for being part of our team!
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? If you’re looking to make 2023 one of your healthiest and happiest years yet, consider focusing on doable goals to boost your health and quality of life. It turns out even small daily adjustments can have a surprisingly big impact on your health!
Here are eight ways you can help yourself feel good and age well:
1. Eat more nutrient-dense foods. You need fewer calories with aging, but just as many nutrients. Eat more nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables, whole grains, seafood, lean meats and poultry, beans, nuts, and seeds. Also consider consuming less sugar-sweetened drinks and desserts, white bread and pasta made from refined grains, advises the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
2. Do a variety of physical activities. Older adults can benefit from doing four types of activity regularly. These include aerobic exercise, such as walking or swimming, for endurance; and activities to strengthen muscles, improve balance and increase flexibility, says NIH. Doing yoga, for example, combines balance, flexibility and strengthening.
3. Think positively. Studies show that a positive attitude has been linked to faster and better recovery from injury or disability, lower risk of chronic disease and memory loss, less isolation and loneliness, and handling stress better without ignoring difficulties, according to Dalhousie University.
4. Stimulate your mind. Challenging your brain to learn something new through a university or community class, book or movie club, or photography group, helps keep your brain healthy, says Dalhousie University. Lifelong learning helps build cognitive reserve, the brain’s resilience and ability to cope with stress and challenges.
5. Help other people. Research reveals volunteering improves health by reducing stress and depression risk, and keeping you physically, mentally and socially active. It also may help you live longer, reports Mayo Clinic.
6. Stay connected and make new friends. Social engagement and participation are especially important for older adults. These are linked to better cognition and overall health, and lower risk of depression and disability, reports Statistics Canada.
7. Engage in the arts. Participating in the arts through music, painting, writing, dance or theatre can stimulate people in unique ways that bring cognitive and mood benefits, according to McMaster University.
8. Share a good laugh. Humor, or a smile, can make you feel good even in difficult times. Laughter also strengthens your immune system, lifts mood, eases pain and lowers stress, says Harvard Health.
Kirby Pines, a sister community of The Farms at Bailey Station, is part of the family of LifeCare Communities of Retirement Companies of America. For more information, visit retirementcompanies.com
© 2024 Kirby Pines LifeCare Community. All Rights Reserved | 