Salina Community Matters December 2019

Salina Presbyterian Manor

DECEMBER 2019

Making friends comes easy to Margie Brull

Mary’s Musings: Concentrating on love, rather than fear When you hear the world angel, whom do you think of? Do you think someone sent by God? Do you think of an angel as a messenger? Do you think of an angel as someone who is there for you in difficult times? Or do you remember being an angel in a longago Christmas pageant?

My vision of angels comes from the Christmas Story, where one who visited Mary to tell her she had been chosen by God to become the most well-known woman in history. “Do not be afraid, Mary.

You have found favor with God.” —Luke 1:30

Margie Brull with her son Jerry.

From tracking names of the people she meets to capturing special moments on film with friends, resident Margie Brull is a people person.

“The reason I came to Salina Presbyterian Manor is because I had diabetes and needed special care. The nurses and aides gave me the excellent care I needed, and I made lots of friends,” said Margie.

With a desire to learn everyone’s name and everything about them, Margie’s daughter-in-law Sherilyn gave her a special memory book to keep track of all her friends.

“When I meet somebody new, I put their name in the book and write what they do. I even write directions about what they look like. That way I can always call them by name. I know everybody’s names up here in BRULL - continued on page 5

Then there were the angels who visited the shepherds out in their fields to deliver news that a baby born in a stable in Bethlehem would forever change our world.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.”

—Luke 2:10 There is little doubt that today’s world is filled with fear. Fear of real people and events. Fear of all the things that might or could happen create stress and uncertainty in our lives. What would happen if we could change our focus from uncertainty and fear to one MUSINGS - continued on page 5

Salina Presbyterian Manor | A PMMA COMMUNITY

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Every gift to Presbyterian Manor makes a difference. As we enter this holiday season, we recognize the gifts of our many donors across the PMMA system. Below are the names of donors who have given $50 or more to Salina Presbyterian Manor between July 1 and September 30, 2019.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Carroll

Mrs. Mary G. Havel

Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Mermis

Mrs. Mary Lou Crawford

Mrs. Constance S. Johnson

Ms. Leona Randolph

Ms. Renee Daniels

Mr. and Mrs. Elwyn F. Johnston

Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Reitz

Ms. Shirley M. Drawbaugh

Verla Nesbitt Joscelyn Foundation

Mr. Steve Gass

Kansas Department of Transportation

Mrs. Jane Ghan

Ms. Nancy Keeling

Mr. Morrie Soderberg Mr. and Mrs. Seth Studley Mrs. Cheryl A. Sweley

You, too, can leave a mark on Salina Presbyterian Manor with your gift during this holiday season. Stop by the front desk or make a gift online, www.giving.presbyterianmanors.org. â—† Like us on Facebook to stay updated on news and events.

SALINA Presbyterian Manor 785-825-1366 â—† Fax: 785-825-6554 2601 E. Crawford Salina, KS 67401-3898 SalinaPresbyterianManor.org

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Community Matters

is published monthly for residents and friends of Salina Presbyterian Manor

by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organizaton.

To submit or suggest articles: mmccoy@PMMA.org Desi Flerlage, executive director Melissa McCoy, marketing director

OUR MISSION: To provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.

COMMUNITY MATTERS | December 2019

free admission

open to the public

a s ’ It

e f i

L

E ONAY D LY ON

3 P.M., SUNDAY, DEC. 8

FIRST COVENANT CHURCH • 2625 EAST MAGNOLIA RD. Christmas is a perfect time to share the love of Jesus by serving others.

Join us for hot cocoa and an intimate showing of a timeless Christmas classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Bring your children, grandchildren and neighbors. All ages welcome.

Admission is free and the first 50 guests will receive “Raising Charitable Children,” a book by St. Louis author, Carol Weisman.

Those who attend will be given an opportunity to earn their own wings by making a donation to our Good Samaritan Program, which assists local seniors living at our campus who have outlived their financial resources through no fault of their own.

A special thank you to First Covenant Church for helping make this event possible.

For more information, call 785-825-1366 or go to our Facebook page and click on “events” to let us know you are planning to attend.

Salina Presbyterian Manor | A PMMA COMMUNITY

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How to live with purpose at any age

By Angela Burton for Next Avenue

“Make yourself useful,” my dad used to say to me when I was seven, standing around, twisting my arms into skinny pretzels while he washed our family station wagon.

The suds splashed around the blue plastic bucket, his strong forearms scrubbing the baby blue front fenders. The sun shone later as every inch of the car gleamed.

His work was meticulous and efficient. Whether washing the car or trimming the front hedge that lined our house or folding the newspaper after he read it, he was “useful.” In his presence, I always felt the need to “do something.”

Sitting idly by didn’t seem to work in his world. He was a busy man, a stoic provider for a family of seven children and my mother. He worked and expected the world to give him nothing in return. It was how he operated.

When my father was forced to retire due to flagging health at 78, he found himself unmoored.

He had started and ran his own business, a driving force for years.

His whole identity was swaddled around his “purpose” of being Mr. Music (his customers affectionately gave him the moniker which was also the name of his business, a home hi-fidelity/record & tape store which still operates today).

What happened in the months that followed his retirement was watching a man roam around restless as a caged cat. He had no idea what to do with himself, how to “make himself useful.”

And then he found writing.

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He found a way to self-propel into a world of meaning by writing, at his own direction, his life stories—through essays and poems and stories. He became consumed by it at times and all of us, his children, stood back in amazement that our father, whom we’d always known to be a savvy business owner, a smart cookie, an ace at poker and pool and golf, suddenly also was a damn good writer.

He penned, literally, his life in words. He had voice, authority and suddenly, a “repurpose.”

It brought him joy and safety in a new world of aging that he had to traverse.

Purpose can be defined in many ways Studies now show that having a purpose in life is not just enjoyable, it can make us healthier and more resilient, even affecting our very mortality. Researchers at the University of Michigan’s Department of Public Health found strong evidence that associates life purpose and mortality based on data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS). HRS participants 50 and older with the lowest life purpose had a 2.4-fold increased risk of death compared to those with the highest life purpose.

The good news is that purpose can

COMMUNITY MATTERS | December 2019

be defined in many ways.

Some people find purpose in their jobs, raising children, all kinds of hobbies and passions—from quilting to painting to playing music to being of service to others as volunteers. For my father, writing saved him from the dark tunnel of purposelessness and brought him out into the light.

As people move into their later years, there might be a temptation just to let go of the passions they’d once held dear. Perhaps they feel they no longer are “able” to do the things that brought them joy.

Sometimes physical limitations do prevent that. My dad’s macular degeneration and progressive COPD eventually put a stop to his golfing and later driving a car altogether. With that went his independence, a huge loss.

Writing became his way of keeping his mind churning, his autonomy intact and his voice heard—his saving grace in so many ways. ◆

assisted living,” said Margie.

Margie had the great joy of going to her grandson’s wedding this fall in Hesston, Kan.

While tracking names is important to Margie, she’s also found it means a lot to the friends she makes.

The event was even more special because she had her friends in the community to share it with.

And making friends is one of the activities she most enjoys at the Presbyterian Manor.

“It was something else. They all came out and took a picture with me and with me and my son, Jerry.

And my good friend Marilyn loaned me one of her sweaters to wear. It was an outdoor wedding among the trees. They were lit up and it was beautiful. The best thing about it was that the bride and groom wrote their own vows. That was really Margie dressed up for her grandson’s wedding. wonderful,” said Margie. ◆

BRULL - continued from page 1

“I enjoy some activities, but I’m not an activities person. I go because I can visit with people and they can visit with me. And I call everyone by name. I think when you call people by name they warm up and are nice to you. I think that’s the key, call them by name,” said Margie.

MUSINGS - continued from page 1

of unconditional love for those around us and hope for a better future? As the Christmas season approaches it is not a perfect time to focus on the words of those angels, to believe those words and then to hold them in our hearts when we become fearful about what our future holds.

These two verses are probably among the first Bible verses we learned as children performing in the Christmas pageant. While we may have memorized them and we may hear them year after year, do we really stop and think about what they are saying to us. “Don’t be afraid!” “Fear not!”

There are people who say that the words “Fear not” are found more than 365 times in the Bible.

Scholars tell us this is not true. The King James Version of the Bible says “Fear not” or “Be not afraid” 103 times. That being said, the word “fear” in all its forms is only

listed 314 times in the original language which includes words that have been translated into words such as terrible or dreadful.

As for the different translations, blueletterbible.com lists the following: NKJV 129, NIV 66, NASB 127, ASV 148, DBY 155, HNV 44, NLT 38, ESV 137, and RSV 139.

This fall, as our great-grandson was preparing to move to Houston with his father and step-mother, I became anxious and afraid. I had a long list of all the horrible things that I was afraid might happen or could happen. While visiting with my best friend she said, “Stop and take a deep breath. Why are you projecting your fears into this new reality?”

My friend shared insights she’d gleaned from William Kent Krueger’s book, “Sulfur Springs.”

Through the conversation between the character Meloux and his niece, Rainy, the girl discovers that, although her son was in trouble

and afraid, she did not have to take on her son’s fear and approach the situation with the same dread.

Instead, she could imagine things working out in a positive way if she chose to focus on love instead of fear.

As we once again prepare to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child, let us remember the words of the angels to Mary and the shepherds telling us to “fear not.”

When things are closing in on us or things feel totally out of control, imagine what could happen if instead of jumping right to the worst-case scenario we would take a deep breath and concentrate instead on the love that came down at Christmas time. Give thanks for the angels in your lives, “Thank you Suzy.” Begin to focus on good in our lives and our world and the love in our hearts that can banish fear and calm our hearts.

May you and yours be blessed in the coming Christmas season. ◆

Salina Presbyterian Manor | A PMMA COMMUNITY

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SALINA Presbyterian Manor

2601 E. Crawford Salina, KS 67401-3898 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Our Mission: to provide quality senior services guided

by Christian values Like us on Facebook to stay updated on news and events.

Sel flessLove c e l e b r a t i n g

This holiday season, be an angel to a senior in need.

Make a donation to our Good Samaritan Program, which assists PMMA residents who have outlived their financial resources through no fault of their own.

To earn your wings, stop by our front desk or visit giving.presbyterianmanors.org. A bell will be added to our Christmas tree in your honor.

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COMMUNITY MATTERS | December 2019