I am a caretaker several elderly clients, I also teach some classes at Sarah Care, and I would like to suggest something to all of you. If you have a parent, Aunt or Uncle, Grandma or Grandpa who is over 80 years old, please find a way to spend some time with them. Granted they may need a little help with finances, or they could use a gift here and there, but for the most part they just want a little of your time.

A luncheon, a movie, perhaps a trip to the mall. Remember they will move much more slowly than you will, so fill yourself with patience and love before you head out. If an outing is too much, how about finding some old music they love and just sitting and listening. A nice cup of tea, a few cookies, and a little reminiscing.

Too many times children come to their parents with questions about their ancestry, and you don’t have the answers. It’s so easy and simple to record short videos on all of our smart phones these days, why not make  a project of asking your loved ones everything they remember about growing up. You can also supplement that information with your own research, perhaps what you find out can spur an old memory out of the back of your Grandma’s mind. There are simple programs that will allow you to make a movie from still photos that have been scanned to your computer. 

You can ask your children to run the project for you. I bet there are some out there who would like to know about the family history. And let’s face it, our children are more adept at making movies and using technology than we are by far.

The bottom line is, it’s doesn’t matter which events, outings or projects you choose. If you live far away, you don’t even have to be there in person, just take the time to call. I know some families who watch a favorite TV show together each week, and they live thousands of miles apart.