Commun ty Matters Wichita Presbyterian Manor
July 2016
Start painting ... at any age! By Heidi Raschke for Next Avenue
Megan Jackson is the kind of person people describe as an old soul. “It’s hard for me to really connect in my own age group, and that’s always been the case,” says the painter who created an untitled work selected for publication by Next Avenue (see page 4). “I’ve always had older friends.” Before Jackson created this work of painting and collage, she wasn’t familiar with the terms “artful aging” or “creative aging” — which refer to the practice of engaging older adults in participatory, professionally run arts programs with a focus on social engagement and skills mastery. But she knew many people who were living it.
Resident of the Month
Velma Barber receives inaugural honor
“Anyone — anyone — can be an artist.You hear people all the time say, ‘Oh, I don’t have any artistic talent,’ which is not true,” Jackson says. “You just have to do it whether you think you have talent or not, you have to get out there and try it.”
A few months ago, Velma Barber suggested to Wichita Presbyterian Manor staff that they start a Resident of the Month program. It didn’t surprise her that they liked the idea. What surprised her is that she became the first honoree.
Jackson offers two tips on how you, too, can let go of the pressure and get started doing art:
Velma grew up on a farm northeast of Wichita and graduated from the nursing program at Wesley Hospital in 1949. She was drawn to psychiatric care, a field she says many nurses avoided. But Velma found it satisfying
ART, continued on page 4
In May, Velma was the guest of honor at the first resident of the month reception. She received a beautiful bouquet of flowers and shared some stories of her life’s adventures with her guests.
RESIDENT, continued on page 2
RESIDENT, continued from page 1
to see some of her patients make progress in overcoming mental illness. “There is a high percentage that come back in a few months, but there are also a percentage of people that say I’m glad I got straightened out,” she said. Velma worked at the state hospital in Larned, another in Missouri, as well as private facilities. In small communities, at that time, people were still stigmatized for seeking psychiatric help, she said. So Velma did her best to reassure patients who knew her that their treatment would remain confidential. Velma married Jack Barber a few ® ®
Community Matters
is published monthly for residents and friends of Wichita Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org.
years after she finished nursing school — and her sister married his brother. Velma and Jack were married for 60 years and had two sons and two daughters. Jack retired from his work as an inspector for an insurance company in the early 1990s. It was important to both of them to continue doing meaningful work, Velma said, but not for pay. “He said, ‘When I get retired I don’t want to go play cards and play golf and waste my time,’” she said. She told Jack she had been reading about Habitat for Humanity, which had warm places they could volunteer in the winter months. He said, “That sounds like a winner to me.” From 1992 to 2002, the Barbers spent several months every year building houses for people in need in Florida and Texas. Jack would be on the work site while Velma would help in the office, run T-shirt sales, and also set up first aid stations. On one trip to Miami, they were
touring a Habitat village that was almost finished when they left the previous year. “A lady recognized us, and she came over and threw her arms around my husband, and she said, ‘Thank you for building my house.’ I was really happy he got hugged by that lady.” The Barbers moved to Presbyterian Manor in 2010. Jack died the following year. Velma took her grieving experience and began using it to help other residents who had lost a spouse. “I feel I can share with them things I did to help me recover after my husband died,” she said. Today, Velma is part of a small group known as The Ambassadors, who visit new Presbyterian Manor residents to help them settle in. Clearly, a born helper never really retires.
Dawn Veh, executive director Jill Coleman, marketing director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact Amy Watson, life enrichment director, awatson@pmma.org. Telephone: 316-942-7456 Fax: 316-941-3806 Address: 4700 W. 13th St., Wichita, KS 67212-5575 Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values. WichitaPresbyterianManor.org
Wichita Presbyterian Manor’s Post-Acute To Home (PATH®) program isn’t just about getting you home—it’s about getting you back to your life. Call 316-942-7456 today to schedule your personal appointment and tour. WichitaPresbyterianManor.org
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Community Matters July 2016
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Share your secret to staying healthy We will focus on healthy aging in an upcoming issue of Community Matters. What are your secrets for staying healthy as you age? What advice do you have for others? Have you faced a health crisis and made life-altering changes as a result? If you’ve got a story to share, contact Life Enrichment Director Amy Watson, and your story could be featured in an upcoming edition of Community Matters.
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Savoring the sweet fruit of the Spirit Courtesy of Don Wilson, interim chaplain at Aberdeen Village, a Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America community
A friend of mine had a bumper sticker that greatly amused me. It said “God wants spiritual fruits, not religious nuts!”
Don Wilson interim chaplain
I loved it, as it pandered to my annoyance toward those folks whose theology differs substantially from my own. I quickly tire of their rhetoric, championing positions on important social and political issues according to their
interpretation of scripture. The term “spiritual fruits” reminds me of a passage in the Epistle to the Galatians (5:22), which lists “fruit of the Spirit.” Included are such qualities as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
with. That would require a careful application of some of those “fruits of the Spirit,” like patience, kindness and a dose of self-control.
A prominent Old Testament scholar has urged that we find a way to dialogue with those we disagree
It wouldn’t be nearly so much fun as clever bumper stickers, but might get us further than name-calling.
ART, continued from page 1
1. Color and doodle “This whole coloring book craze is huge right now, because it’s already there for you and you can put your creativity in with your color and design. Painting can definitely be the same thing,” Jackson says. “People think that I must be an excellent drawer. I’m not. When I take my pencil, I’m scribbling. I’m not doing refined drawing.” She suggests trying this exercise, which encourages you to take a bit more of a risk than filling in a prefab coloring page: Take a black Sharpie and draw an abstract image using one continuous line — don’t lift up the pen. Then color in the shapes. “You’re basically making your own coloring page,” says Jackson. “There’s freedom because you’re making your own shape, but then there’s that structure of, ‘Oh, now I just get to color in.’” Untitled painting and collage by Megan Jackson 2. Make art a daily practice “I did have to discipline myself and I did have to paint every day, even if it was literally for five or 10 minutes during nap time,” Jackson says. “You just have to keep practicing and revising and learning from past pieces and works. I took that practice into play with my painting which really allowed me to open up and to paint bad things.” © Twin Cities Public Television 2016. All rights reserved.
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Community Matters July 2016
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