Today has been a pretty hard day.
When I arrived at the memory care residence where my mom lives, another resident had just passed away, and it was a bluster of activity and confusion. The residents knew that something had happened but, due to their cognitive states, didn't comprehend what was going on.
Focusing on my mom was a challenge because I felt deep empathy for what the staff was going through, especially with the realization that they go through this regularly in their profession.
I've walked through the end-of-life stages with four of my own family members and have been there at the moment of their passing.
I can attest that it never gets any easier to deal with the finality of someone taking their last breath.
So, for these people who are full of love and care for my mom daily, I have an inner need for them to know how much they are loved, cared for, thought about, and appreciated.
For the past 25 years, I have managed my parents' finances. Part of the process of taking care of aging parents can include selling their home and material possessions. When I went through this process with my mom in the summer of this year, the result afforded her a hefty amount of funds to sustain her needs through the rest of her life.
My parents were always generous people; if someone needed something, anything, and they could provide it, they would do it. I remember my mom often went without something to give someone else what they needed.
As part of my continuing her giving spirit, I regularly take gifts of appreciation to the staff members of her memory care community.
In October, I took a tray of pumpkin muffins, thank you cards, gift cards, and stickers. Mom and I spent about 30 minutes putting the little puffy stickers on each envelope. She enjoyed choosing which stickers she wanted to couple together.
When we were done, she had one puffy pineapple sticker left and wanted to keep it, so I suggested she put it on her tracking bracelet (which she still must wear because she likes to walk around a lot). It has remained there ever since, and she loves showing it to anybody she meets.
At Thanksgiving time, I took in a big bouquet of fall-colored mums, more thank you cards and gift cards, and Mom and I enjoyed taping the cards to the pot of the plant and presenting them to the staff.
Another part of my visit with Mom includes sitting down with her after she eats lunch and is ready to nap.
There is one couch in the solarium, and it seats between 3 and 4 people. There are between 40 and 50 people in the residence, so there could be 10-12 people in the solarium at any given time, and there's really not enough seating.
So, knowing my mom and the generous spirit she has always had, she would have approved of the most recent purchase I made on her behalf.
I stopped at a local furniture store in the city where her memory care community is located and found the perfect couch to donate to the residents. The couch could be delivered the next day for a nominal fee, and my mom could say Merry Christmas to the people caring for her.
A new client showed me the same kind of generosity, albeit a different kind, today.
This generosity came as a compliment and with reassurance that I'm on the right track with the services I provide:
You. are. INCREDIBLE.
You absolutely blew my mind with your feedback, suggestions, and questions.
It took a little longer to go through (which is cool), but incredibly helpful!
I hired the right person.
And I can tell that you GET IT.
The words gave me quite a boost in knowing that my service is high quality.
My business's ultimate goal is to provide a valuable service so others can succeed. I need to make an income, and I'm grateful for it.
But at the heart of my business model (which I am learning to improve more each day) is a commitment to understanding and fulfilling the unique needs of each project. It's not merely a transactional exchange for me; it's about creating tailored solutions that resonate with the goals and visions of my clients.
The success of my clients is a shared accomplishment that fuels my dedication to continuing to provide quality work.
For me, I need to serve others. It's in my very DNA. I feel "less-than" if I am not helping. It doesn't make me worth less, but I believe I'm here to give and give abundantly.
Like my mom always has. And still does. Even if she is unaware of her generosity.
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