Commun ty Matters Manor of the Plains
6 ways to find love and friendship later in life By Wendy Sue Knecht for Next Avenue
There’s no question of the importance of personal interactions and connections with friends as an important source of our well-being. This is especially true as we age, and much has been written about the challenge of making friends and finding love in the later years. Looking for love, or even just hoping to make a new friend, can seem intimidating when you’re older. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are a few insights that may be helpful in finding love and friendship as we get older: LOVE, continued on page 3
December 2018
Wendi Barlow embraces her special day by wearing the famous birthday hat.
Employee of the Month spotlight With this being the gift of giving season, we at Manor of the Plains would like to recognize one of our best and longest employees. Wendi Barlow has worn many different hats during her tenure at Presbyterian Manor, but she continues to wear her gift of kindness the most. Regardless of the situation, she is always there to lend a hand. Frank Trimboli, executive director, said that if he needs some assistance, Wendi is the first to step up and offer. Wendi began her career here in nursing, working her way through school and quickly moving up to director of nursing for many years. Every morning, Wendi would arrive in the early hours of the morning to help take care of the residents, many mornings she could be seen in the dining room helping residents with their breakfast or pouring a cup of fresh coffee. WENDI, continued on page 2
WENDI, continued from page 1
Wendi now continues to show her skills as the Manor of the Plains human resource director. She is still coming in early in the morning to prepare for her day, working with new hires, payroll and all of the other duties that go with her position. It doesn’t stop there though. Wendi also assists daily with the care of her mother, who resides in our community. Once she is finished with her day, she assists her dad with his horse training operation and, of course, her favorite roll is being Meme to her precious granddaughter Presley, or as she is known here, Pretzel! What a gift Wendi has been to Manor of the Plains. Here’s to many more years doing what Wendi does best … giving!
Wendi Barlow and her granddaughter “Pretzel” visit the pumpkin patch.
Community Matters is published monthly for residents and friends of Manor of the Plains by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org.
Frank Trimboli, executive director Kurt Lampe, marketing director Lisa Montoya, activity director Jacque Soltero, health care activity director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact Kurt at klampe@pmma.org. Telephone: 620-225-1928 Fax: 620-225-3982 Address: 200 Campus Dr., Dodge City, KS 67801-2760
Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values. ManorOfThePlains.org
2
Community Matters December 2018
Wendi Barlow enjoying our annual Halloween party.
Wendi Barlow with her nursing team, seated from left, Kathy Miller, and standing, Alicia Stude Like us on Facebook
Christmas is coming As beautiful decorations appear around our campus, we can’t help but reflect on last year’s wonderful Christmas celebration. Gwen Brooks, left, and Alverna Cantrell enjoy a visit from Santa Claus during a past Christmas party.
LOVE, continued from page 1
1. Re-frame old mindsets It’s all how we frame things in our minds that affect our vision. With the right mindset, it is easier to find love and friendship. Although it is often said that as we get older we get more stuck in our ways, this doesn’t have to be true. We learn more about ourselves as the years go by, and our tastes become more distinct; but that doesn’t necessarily imply that we have to become more rigid. As I’ve experienced, it is possible to become more open-minded as we age.
it is much easier to accept other people for who they are. Not only do I not expect anyone to be perfect, I would hate for anyone to expect that of me. 3. Don’t let others define you When we were younger, many of us chose friends a lot like ourselves. Hence the “cliques” in high school, where everyone was pretty much alike. Back then, we needed to be alike to be accepted.
Once we have the self-assurance of age, it is no longer necessary to find a partner or a friend to define ourselves.You can appreciate others more fully when you realize they are not a reflection of you. Differing 2. Don’t expect others to be opinions and tastes can make things perfect more interesting if you are open to listening without judgment. For With age comes confidence, and hopefully, the acceptance of our own example, the famous friendship between Supreme Court Justices imperfections. Personally, in my Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Anthony younger days, I had strict standards Scalia comes to mind. that everyone had to live up to. My friends used to tell me that I 4. Embrace quirkiness was “too picky” regarding men, which was a nice way of saying “too Perfect is boring and quirkiness can be a lot of fun if you have a sense critical.” Once you come to accept your own faults and imperfections, of humor. My husband’s “Obsessive Like us on Facebook
Cleaning Disorder” would have driven me crazy in my 30s, but now I can work around it and even appreciate it. As long I keep my own modicum of neatness, I can reap the benefits of his obsession. I am perfectly happy for him to clean up the dinner dishes and organize the drawers. Quirkiness in ourselves and in others can make life more interesting. 5. Visualize Remember the self-fulfilling prophecy is just that. If you really can feel in your heart that you are ready to meet a new friend or love interest, you are much more likely to be open to it when the opportunity presents itself. Visualize it happening. I found there is a lot of value in putting good thoughts out to the universe. 6. Keep an Open Mind Keeping an open mind is key to finding new friends and love as you get older. Never say never; love and friendship could be just around the corner. Manor of the Plains
3
Manor of the Plains 200 Campus Dr. Dodge City, KS 67801-2760 Return Service Requested
Become an “Angel for a Day� by making a donation to the Good Samaritan Program. To earn your wings, stop by our front desk today for a donation envelope. A bell will be added to our Christmas tree in your honor.
4
Community Matters December 2018
Like us on Facebook