Book Groups/Wiki Project

Thank you all for sharing your hard work with us all last week. It was fantastic to be able to get a sense of the different books you all read without having to take the time to read them all myself, although I do think I have a couple to add to my reading to-do list. 

I could tell how much effort you all put into your projects, even in the design elements of your pages. They are a great help when working on Exam II as well, so thanks again!

Snow

As I sit and look out at the snow, I still enjoy seeing it. Somehow every year it still seems new and exciting. A friend posted on her Facebook status something along the lines of "It's just friggin' snow, people. Get over it, you've seen it before." While, to some degree, I understand where she was coming from with this, it made me think about the general passage of time throughout a life course of a person.

At what point do things like the first big snowfall or the first shorts-worthy spring day lose their thrill, or do they ever?

It's so important not to take the little joys in life for granted. We can make each day new and exciting even if it's the same as the 5, 10, 20, 50 years before, because we can always look at in in a new way. In relationships, we are constantly building upon the history we have established, making the meaning of each cup of coffee, dinner and a movie, or call on the phone worth more than its face value.

I hope you all can continue to find the little happinesses around you each and every day.

Celebrating Caregivers

A little while ago, I saw a commercial for Genworth financial, asking for nominations of caregivers that should be recognized. Given our discussions about both formal and informal caregiving, I thought it was particularly relevant.

You can check it out and read some of the nominations/stories on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GenworthCelebrates

Giving Thanks

Hi everyone!

Thanks so much to those of you that shared your experiences over break with us. I'm so glad that this helped spark some conversation that otherwise might not have occurred.

I also discussed some of these things with my family while I was with them. My grandma said, when asked about how she feels about getting older and being in later life, "Sometimes it stinks, and sometimes its great." I feel like this really coincides well with what we've read about health concerns and negative changes but also about good social networks and other activities.

I had the chance to briefly discuss with my parents what they would like in the event that they need extra care in later life. The seemed as though they would be happy to go into an assisted living facility if it came to that. I was a bit surprised in this answer, especially because of how difficult it has been to find a suitable place for my mother's parents to be. They were fairly resistant to the change. However, upon further thought, I think the resistance was not really about the living arrangements themselves, but rather the realization that they had gotten to the point where they could no longer completely care for themselves. This has to be very difficult, especially with the general sense of independence and autonomy that we are raised with in the U.S.

Thanks again for participating in this with me, and I hope you will continue the dialogue about issues in later life with your families!
Megan