Life Connections (April 2022)

Generations Reflections by people 55 and over

West Central Tribune

APRIL 2022

April 21-22, 2022

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2 | SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022

GENERATIONS

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GENERATIONS

About this section: Generations, formerly Prime Time, sections are published a few times throughout the year as a special section within the West Central Tribune.

People age 55 and older are invited to write stories and submit pictures or other artwork for publication in these sections.

We recognize that senior citizens have much knowledge and experience.

What better way to share that with the community than by writing an article for publication?

We invite all interested senior citizens to contribute articles. They may deal with serious issues, or tell human interest stories.

Photos or other graphics may be included with the submission of your article to help illustrate the piece.

If you need a photo returned, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Try to keep articles to within 500 words.

Articles may be sent to: Generations, West Central Tribune, Box 839, Willmar, MN 56201; or emailed to news@wctrib.com with Generations in the subject line.

For additional information, email news@wctrib.com.

SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022 | 3

Life Connections to return to Willmar after two-year delay WILLMAR — The West Central Tribune will host the 21st Life Connections event April 21-22 at the Willmar Civic Center, returning after a two-year absence due to the coronavirus pandemic. Admission to the event is free.

“Life Connections has become a tradition for mature adults of Willmar and west central Minnesota, providing exhibits, speakers, entertainment and probably most important — interaction — for those who attend,” said West Central Tribune Publisher Steve Ammermann.

“After two years of basically social isolation, we’re looking at reconnecting with our community in person.”

Doors open to the public

Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m., allowing for more people to attend and visit the exhibits.

Dr. Eric Nelson from Heartland Orthopedic will Steve present at 5 p.m.

Ammermann “At the event, of course, are vendors’ booths that have all kinds of information for the attendees — anywhere from financial information to medical information — all kinds of different things that people would be interested in,” Ammermann said.

The event will pick back up Friday morning at 8 a.m. with a free pancake breakfast provided

by Chris Cakes Pancakes and sponsored by Heritage Bank.

Following breakfast will be the presentation of the Outstanding Senior Award at 9:45 a.m., sponsored by West Central Sanitation.

Guest speaker Mark Rosen will take the stage at 10:30 a.m.; the Kingery family will provide music at 11:30; BINGO is scheduled for the early afternoon, starting at 1:30 p.m.; and the Larry Olsen Band will strike up a tune to accompany dancing at 2 p.m..

“It’s exhibitors, entertainment, seminars, prizes and a lot of fun,” Ammermann said. “Come and spend the day with us, there’s something for everyone.”

GENERATIONS

4 | SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022

Kingery Family to provide entertainment at Life Connections

Photo contributed

The Kingery Family is ready to take the stage at the 2022 Life Connections event, April 21-22 at the Willmar Civic Center.

The Kingery Family, of the AtwaterGrove City area, will begin their set at 11:30 a.m. Friday, April 22. Their musical presentation is sponsored by Whitney Music Center of Willmar.

The group began as a family of 10 — Mike, Chris and their eight children — singing and ministering together through music. It has grown to include three sons-in-law and seven grandchildren.

They have enjoyed singing together for the past 19 years. They sing primarily gospel bluegrass music, while also incorporating fiddle, patriotic, Americana and a capella styles. Their combination of tight harmonies, uplifting songs and family unity are sure to encourage all.

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GENERATIONS

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SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022 | 5

The Larry Olsen Band will entertain the afternoon crowd beginning at 2 p.m.

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GENERATIONS

6 | SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022

Outstanding senior to be named at Life Connections

Erica Dischino / West Central Tribune

Bonnie Kluver, left, receives congratulatory praise from her long-time friend Arlene Nissen after Kluver received the 2019 Outstanding Senior Citizen award during the 20th annual Life Connections event for mature adults at the Willmar Civic Center in Willmar. Kluver and Nissen were committee members together for the Swift County Relay for Life fundraiser.

The selection of an outstanding senior for the year is a favorite feature of Life Connections.

This year will be the 12th year of the award. The award will be presented at 9:45 a.m. Friday, April 22.

The Outstanding Senior Award will be given to an individual age 50 or older who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and commitment that benefits the community and its citizens.

Leadership qualities include creativity, volunteerism, responsibility, problem-solving, respectfulness, cooperation and organizational skills.

Nominees must live in Kandiyohi, Swift, Chippewa, Renville, Meeker, Pope or Stearns counties.

The winner will receive a $100 award, plus $100 donated to the charity of his or her choice. In addition, the person providing the nomination will receive $50. Nominations must include a description of the projects, activities and/or volunteerism the person has been involved in; the end results and benefits of the individual’s efforts and contributions; and comments as to how this person’s efforts have helped to make their community a better place. For more information, call 320-214-4317

or email csteffel@wctrib.com.

Sponsor of the award is West Central Sanitation of Willmar.

2019 recipient

Bonnie Kluver, of Kerkhoven, was named the 2019 Outstanding Senior three years ago. The event was canceled in April 2020, and initially rescheduled for September 2021. That event was also canceled.

Kluver, known for her community service, was nominated for her work in facilitating the Helping Hands Club in Kerkhoven. The group’s members create handcrafted items and donate them to charities such as Bethesda and Safe Avenues. She also helped establish the monthly Food and Fun events on Thursdays for seniors, which gives seniors a chance to learn, socialize and have fun.

In addition to her volunteer work, Kluver also was a founding member of — and vendor at — the Kerkhoven Farmers Market, which provides local and fresh produce, baked goods and meat during the summer months.

“Bonnie sets an incredible example for the rest of us on what it means to serve and show love to those around you,” according to the nomination letter.

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GENERATIONS

SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022 | 7

Rosen to share stories of life’s challenges at Life Connections Kit Grode / West Central Tribune

WILLMAR — Mark Rosen, former WCCO-TV sports anchor and author of the book “Best Seat in the House,” will be the guest speaker at Life Connections, held April 21-22, 2022, at the Willmar Civic Center.

Rosen retired from WCCO in 2019 after a 50-year, award-studded broadcasting career, and has since been a regular voice on KFAN radio and a steady presence within his community, working with athletes and youth alike in a volunteer capacity through the Athletes Committed to Educating Students (ACES) organization.

“I’ve been doing speeches for quite awhile,” Rosen said. “Obviously everybody got interrupted by COVID,

but certainly my tone and my subject matter has changed a lot.

“I think people always enjoyed hearing — and I still love doing it — stories about this really incredible ride, starting young in the television business and meeting some amazing mentors and people who taught me the ropes, but more importantly taught me about

establishing good relationships with people, positive relationships and trustworthy relationships.”

Rosen’s career took him to the very top of sports broadcasting — to national championships, to the Olympics, to meeting people he never expected to meet, let alone have a conversation with.

All the while, Rosen also juggled the intricacies of balancing an active career with his

Mark Rosen

home life — “getting married, having a family, and understanding the difficulties of that … all the ups and downs, but you just keep going.”

In July 2018, Rosen’s wife, Denise, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer which has no cure.

“All of a sudden, I put the brakes on everything,” Rosen said. “I decided to leave WCCO pretty quickly thereafter.

I knew we had about two good years together — hopefully we had two years together — when she was still able to travel, see our kids, be with our friends, go to places she wanted to go, and do it and enjoy it without much other than taking a nap when she was tired.”

ROSEN: Page 8

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GENERATIONS

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Contributed / Mark Rosen

Left: Denise Rosen holds a personalized Vikings football given to her at the Athletes Committed to Educating Students awards dinner on May 9, 2020.

Mark Rosen, right, was honored at the dinner for a 50-year career in sports broadcasting. Above: Denise Rosen laughs as this photo is taken during a trip to Key West in 2020. Denise died Aug. 30, 2021, three years after being diagnosed with glioblastoma.

ROSEN From Page 7

The Rosens did all of that, together, knowing that they needed to take what joy they could before things took a turn for the worse.

They traveled, they saw friends and family, and

they checked off bucket list items.

“That’s the message I’m trying to get across to people,” Rosen said.

“No matter what you like — traveling, hikes, golf, sports, cars, whatever it is — live your best life, because you just don’t know. I know it’s an old cliche, but … I saw it, I

lived it and now I’m still grieving but I’m coming out of it.”

Denise died Aug. 30, 2021, three years after her initial diagnosis.

Rosen hopes to share what he has learned through that three-year journey of joy and loss, because it is a reality that everyone has to face

at some point in their lives.

“I really talk from the heart about the importance of being as prepared as possible for that inevitability that everyone faces,” Rosen said. “These are not comfortable topics to talk about, but at the same time, they’re

necessary.”

And he hopes to impress upon his audience the importance of keeping one’s relationships strong and close, because you never know when you’ll need to lean on someone else for a little while.

“I know I learned a lot, during the course

of all this, about what’s important in life. And I just kind of want to spread that message around — that you can’t go alone, that you can’t do it by yourself. It’s just too much,” he said.

Rosen will speak to Life Connections attendees at 10:30 a.m.

Friday, April 22.

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GENERATIONS

SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022 | 9

How to make a bucket list a reality Metro Creative Connection

The idiom “kick the bucket” is a euphemism for passing away that does not paint such a rosy picture if you consider its origins.

However, the phrase “bucket list,” though undeniably related to “kick the bucket,” definitely sheds a brighter light on the topic of mortality.

A bucket list is a plan for living life to its fullest and prioritizing opportunities to engage in all sorts of activities.

A bucket list can be made at any point in life and is not exclusive to individuals facing their own mortality. Here are some tips for putting bucket list plans into action.

Stop and think about what you really want to experience in your lifetime. Leave factors like money or proximity out of it. No ideas

are off-limits. This is your opportunity to brainstorm, and nothing is too crazy or silly.

Write the bucket list in a comfortable or inspiring place, which may help ideas flow more freely.

The place might be a cozy nook at a bookstore or a quiet spot on the beach.

Choose things that are meaningful to you as well as ideas that are frivolous and fun. Make your list a mix of each, and don’t take yourself too seriously.

Divide the bucket list by time. Are there items you can check off in a particular season, such as skiing the Alps? If your bucket list involves moving to a bustling city, determine if you’d like to do that after your children have reached adulthood or if you want to expose them to city life as youngsters.

Categorizing the list by periods of your life can make it easier to prioritize certain activities over others.

Determine if each bucket list activity will be a solitary or joint pursuit. Various activities are more enjoyable when shared with others, but some you might be more inclined to do alone.

Set aside a budget for funding bucket list activities. Bucket lists may include some costly activities, so start saving now so money does not stand in your way.

Open a savings account specifically for funding bucket list excursions and set up automatic deposits.

Bucket lists can encourage people to live life to the fullest and it’s never too early to get started on a list of your own.

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GENERATIONS

10 | SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022

SAVE THE DATE

Life Connections Schedule of Events: THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022 • 4-7 PM GUEST SPEAKER:

GENERATIONS

Pavillion

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• Dr. Nelson from Heartland Orthopedics | 5 PM

Thursday April 21, 2022 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Friday April 22, 2022 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

Willmar Civic Center 2707 Arena DR, Willmar, MN 56201 Thank you to All Our Sponsors: Major Sponsors: SWIF, St. Cloud Surgical Center and West Central Tribune

FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022 • 8 AM-2 PM

• Pancakes | 8-9:30 AM SPONSORED BY: HERITAGE BANK

• Outstanding Senior Award | 9:45 AM

Pavillion

SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022 | 11

Life Connections Vendor Booth Map Bethesda Carris Health Cashwise Pharmacy CentraCare Heart & Vascular Center Central Community Transit Central Minnesota Senior Care Compassionate Care Compassionate Cottage Copperleaf-Vista Prairie Edward Jones Glen Oaks Gutter Helmet

218, 220 107 102

Heartland Orthopedic Independence Place of Willmar Meadow Lane Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center Mid-Minnesota Developement Commision Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging Peterson Brothers Funeral Home Pioneer Public Television Quist Wealth Management Senior Linkage Line

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Sons Of Norway Southwest Initiative Foundation St. Cloud Surgical St. Croix Hospice Thirfty White UCare United Community Action Partnership VISION 2040 WCDAN West Central Tribune Willmar Area Senior Club

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SPONSORED BY: WEST CENTRAL SANITATION

GUEST SPEAKER:

• Mark Rosen | 10:30 AM • Kingery Family | 11:30 AM • Bingo | 1:30 PM

SPONSORED BY: THRIFTY WHITE PHARMACY

• The Larry Olsen Band | 2 PM SPONSORED BY: PIONEER PUBLIC TELEVISION

For more information contact Christie Steffel, Marketing Manager csteffel@wctrib.com 320-214-4317

RECONNECT WITH A FRIEND

ENJOY YOURSELF

GENERATIONS

10 | SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022

SAVE THE DATE

Life Connections Schedule of Events: THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022 • 4-7 PM GUEST SPEAKER:

GENERATIONS

Pavillion

215, 217 116 119 118 206 106 209 211 115, 117 310 114 318, 320, 322

• Dr. Nelson from Heartland Orthopedics | 5 PM

Thursday April 21, 2022 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Friday April 22, 2022 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

Willmar Civic Center 2707 Arena DR, Willmar, MN 56201 Thank you to All Our Sponsors: Major Sponsors: SWIF, St. Cloud Surgical Center and West Central Tribune

FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022 • 8 AM-2 PM

• Pancakes | 8-9:30 AM SPONSORED BY: HERITAGE BANK

• Outstanding Senior Award | 9:45 AM

Pavillion

SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022 | 11

Life Connections Vendor Booth Map Bethesda Carris Health Cashwise Pharmacy CentraCare Heart & Vascular Center Central Community Transit Central Minnesota Senior Care Compassionate Care Compassionate Cottage Copperleaf-Vista Prairie Edward Jones Glen Oaks Gutter Helmet

218, 220 107 102

Heartland Orthopedic Independence Place of Willmar Meadow Lane Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center Mid-Minnesota Developement Commision Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging Peterson Brothers Funeral Home Pioneer Public Television Quist Wealth Management Senior Linkage Line

304 308 109 121 111 302

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Sons Of Norway Southwest Initiative Foundation St. Cloud Surgical St. Croix Hospice Thirfty White UCare United Community Action Partnership VISION 2040 WCDAN West Central Tribune Willmar Area Senior Club

STAGE 102

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SPONSORED BY: WEST CENTRAL SANITATION

GUEST SPEAKER:

• Mark Rosen | 10:30 AM • Kingery Family | 11:30 AM • Bingo | 1:30 PM

SPONSORED BY: THRIFTY WHITE PHARMACY

• The Larry Olsen Band | 2 PM SPONSORED BY: PIONEER PUBLIC TELEVISION

For more information contact Christie Steffel, Marketing Manager csteffel@wctrib.com 320-214-4317

RECONNECT WITH A FRIEND

ENJOY YOURSELF

GENERATIONS

12 | SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022

How to include giving in your estate plan Metro Creative Connection

Charitable giving is the lifeblood of many nonprofit organizations.

The generosity of donors helps charities meet their missions and provide vital services to people facing disease, financial hardship and other situations they cannot overcome on their own.

Many donors make sacrifices to support their favorite causes and charities. Forgoing certain luxuries so money can be donated to charity illustrates the selfless nature of charitable giving, which can even continue after death. Estate planning is a complicated process that details exactly how a person wants their assets divvied up after death. But an estate plan also can go into effect while individuals are still alive.

Each year, millions of people across the globe choose to include charitable giving in their estate plans, and that can benefit charities and donors. The following are a handful of the many ways charitable men and women can incorporate giving into their estate plans.

Bequest giving in a will or living trust

Perhaps the most widely known way to include charitable giving in an estate plan is to bequeath money in a will or living will. The Community Foundation Alliance notes that

bequests typically allow donors to define how their donations will be spent or utilized. That benefits charitable organizations, but surviving family members also can benefit from such arrangements.

According to LawDepot.com, individuals may be able to lower the estate taxes on their estates at their time of death if they bequeath money to an eligible charitable organization in their wills.

Consider a charitable rollover

The Internal Revenue Service notes that individuals with an IRA, SEP IRA, Simple IRA, or retirement plan account generally must begin withdrawing money from these accounts when they reach age 72.

These withdrawals are called required minimum distributions and they are considered taxable income.

However, individuals who want to give to charity can opt for a Qualified Charitable Distribution, or QCD. A QCD counts toward the minimum distribution from retirement accounts and individuals will not be taxed on the money they donate to charity. That’s a win-win for charities and individuals 72 and over who do not need to withdraw money from their IRAs to meet daily living expenses.

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A charitable remainder trust, or CRT, allows individuals to set up a trust that benefits both a designated beneficiary and a charity or charities of their choosing. When a CRT is set up, a beneficiary will receive annual payments from the trust until it terminates, at which time the remaining funds in the trust are

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GENERATIONS

The Visit

SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022 | 13

By Mary Lou Peterson, Blomkest

I had this great uncle, as a child I adored.

He was in a nursing home now. I dreaded going. Need I say more?

Lately my thoughts were straying back to him, leaving me discontent. I tried hard to turn that switch down to dim.

I could not do it. That voice became a roar, until I found myself standing at the nursing home door!

I asked where Mr. Kopmann might be, Remembering his delightful personality to a tee.

He was a robust man, with a twinkle in his eye.

He always made me laugh when I wanted to cry.

I walked down that hall at a very slow pace, arriving at 109 too soon, but anxious to see his face.

With a burst of boldness, I knocked on his door. Would he be surprised!

Hearing a weak little, “Come in;” had to be the wrong room, I surmised.

He probably wouldn’t remember me. Would he be drooling, coughing and hacking?

Should I even bother, but with brute force, I sent those thoughts a packing?

Walking cautiously in, revealed a frail little man in a wheelchair, With a blanket in his lap; this sight I could hardly bear.

His hair was snow white, his prominent features had waned. Could this be uncle Lee? He stared at me awhile and then I hear an exuberant, “Well, I’ll be!”

“What took you so long to come and see me?

“I’ve thought about you a lot – breaking my gloomy thoughts free.”

“I have wanted to see you again and now you are here.

Come closer to me and give me a hug, my dear!”

There it was! I spotted the twinkle in his eye.

As in years gone by, he made me laugh when I wanted to cry.

Yes, it was great uncle Lee. Who he was had not changed a bit.

We chatted away. He had not lost his humor or quick wit.

The time just flew by. I hated to say “Good bye.” His eyes filled with tears to the brim.

“Oh, why hadn’t I come sooner?” making the situation quite grim.

“Promise me you’ll come back,” said he, as I walked out of the door.

I looked back with a smile and said, “Many, many more!”

Not wanting to go, afraid he would die.

The tears trickled down. I had a good cry.

I kept my promise. Visit him, I did.

I was sitting here now, watching them close that final lid.

My life was a whole lot richer because of great uncle Lee. His love and kindness shaped me into someone I am proud to be.

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GENERATIONS

14 | SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022

A child named George gave poverty a face

By Heidi Haagenson, Willmar

An encounter with a little boy named George put a name and a face on the human suffering that so often accompanies children who live in poverty. My first experience with George came the first year I traveled to Jamaica as a short-term missionary with my home church, New London’s Peace Lutheran, in 1995. Our group toured Strathmore Children’s Home after attending church that day. I was not prepared for what I would see as we walked through the facility.

Inside, I passed a painted metal crib in one of the bedrooms, with paint chips peeling off. I envisioned small children peeling away the chips and ingesting them.

The bottom of the crib was a piece of plywood with jagged edges, blackened with stains.

No mattress, no foam, no blanket.

This is where a child slept.

That child was George.

The toilets had overflowed that day, and the water ran freely through the home.

Several children were sitting on plastic bowls instead. We passed through an eating area, where children sat on long wooden benches. They ate once per day, around 3:00 pm. A little boy sat at the table, staring at us, as if to beg, “Please help me.” He had a dried mucous-covered face and the saddest eyes and wore a faded tee shirt with nothing on the bottom. He sat by himself, as if shunned by others. I approached this little guy named George, addressed him by name, and received an acknowledged look that I preferred to

think meant, “Thank you for speaking to me.” I was informed George could neither speak nor walk.

Over the next five years,

I returned to visit George multiple times, each time not daring to think his condition could get any worse than the time before. But each time his deterioration was dramatic.

I would find him lying alone outside on the hot gravel or concrete, only partially clothed, quietly moaning or crying. It broke my heart.

I remember wondering at the time how he could have survived all this time. I would sit next to him on the ground and when I did, he always seemed to soften somewhat as I read him books, blew bubbles, and carried on onesided conversations. I talked about my kids and flowers and trees and the sky. I wanted to believe that, even though he may not have understood the words, he somehow knew that the voice he was hearing

The Mid-Minnesota Regional Transportation Coordination Council (MMRTCC) is searching for Volunteer Drivers to assist our seniors, people with disabilities and other non-drivers. These essential individuals use their own vehicles to drive our neighbors to their medical appointments, work, the grocery store, social events and other engagements when the transit bus cannot help them. Each weekday, between 20 and 40 people receive a ride from a volunteer driver in this region. Each ride helps a parent, child, sibling, neighbor or friend remain in their own home, despite their inability to drive.

There are currently more than 50 volunteer drivers serving our region, but many more are needed to meet the need. Benefits of volunteer driving include: • • • •

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was a friendly one. I would plead with God to spare this sweet young boy his pain and suffering.

In 2000, I once again visited and asked the house mother how George was doing. She told me that George had died during the past year. My heart sank and rejoiced at the same time. I wondered what God had in mind for this short life.

George’s legacy? I am not sure, other than the profound effect he had on me. Poverty now had a name and a face.

My experiences in Jamaican children’s homes have shaped me into the person I am today and ultimately necessitated the telling of these stories in my book, “Lessons Learned in Jamaica,” as a means of documenting and processing all I had seen, heard, and felt.

GENERATIONS

SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022 | 15

How to create structure after retirement Metro Creative Connection

Professionals typically look forward to retirement and the freedom that comes with it. The notion that commuting and deadlines will one day be a distant memory is enough to make anyone excited for retirement. But when the day to leave the daily grind behind arrives, many retirees admit to feeling a little anxiety about how they’re going to find structure.

Retirement is a big transition, and Robert Delamontagne, PhD, author of the 2011 book “The Retiring Mind: How to Make the Psychological Transition to Retirement,” notes that some retirees experience anxiety, depression and even a sense of loss upon calling it a career. Some of those feelings can undoubtedly be traced to the perceived lack of purpose some individuals feel after retiring.

Without a job to do each day, people can begin to feel useless. Overcoming such feelings can be difficult, but finding ways to build daily structure can make the transition to retirement go smoothly.

Find something to truly engage in.

Professionals who truly enjoy their work tend to be fully engaged, so it’s no surprise if such individuals have a hard time adjusting to retirement. Some may suggest volunteering can help fill the void created by retirement, but researchers with the Sloan Center on Aging and Work at Boston College have found that only those individuals who are

pandemic in March 2020, but a 2019 survey from the LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute found that 27% of pre-retirees with at least $100,000 in assets planned to work part-time in retirement. Even part-time work can provide enough daily structure to help retirees feel as though each day is not just a free-for-all.

Make a concerted effort to be more social.

truly engaged in their post-retirement volunteering enjoy the psychological benefits of such pursuits.

So before retirees dive right in to volunteering as a means to creating structure, they should first exercise due diligence and find an opportunity they’ll find genuinely engaging.

Embrace the idea of “bridge employment.”

“Bridge employment” is the name given to the trend that has seen retired individuals take on part-time or temporary employment after they have retired from full-time working. COVID-19 has no doubt skewed post-retirement working statistics since the World Health Organization first declared a

Volunteering and working are not the only ways to create structure in retirement. A concerted effort to be more social can help retirees fill their days with interactions with like-minded individuals who may be experiencing the same feelings. Join a book club, a local nature group that goes on daily or semidaily morning hikes or another local community organization. These are great ways to build structure and meet new people. Retirees can create social media accounts to find local community groups that cater to their interests. Even if it seems hard to believe, plenty of retirees are seeking to create structure in retirement life, and social media can make it easier to find such individuals in your community.

Structure and retirement may seem like strange bedfellows. But many retirees seek structure after calling it a career, and there are many fun ways for seniors to create more organization in their lives.

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GENERATIONS

16 | SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022

Do’s and taboos: Rethinking mental health

By John Kellen, Willmar

Colleen Kellen, left, pictured here with her son, John Kellen, in this undated photo, lived with Alzheimer’s disease for the better part of 10 years.

Contributed / John Kellen

Editor’s note: This article was submitted for publication in early January 2022. Colleen Kellen died Jan. 20, 2022.

The start of a new year always makes me stop and ponder what will become of my life in the future 365 days.

This year, more than most, has me contemplating my own mortality viewed through the lens of my aging mother, who is transitioning from this life on earth to the afterlife. As fate would have it, Mutti — as I affectionately call her — has lived with Alzheimer’s disease for the better part of 10 years. One cannot determine for sure when it all began as there is much more we do not know about memory loss than we do know.

Based on workshops I’ve attended and reading numerous books on the subject, more and more of us will encounter some form of memory loss in our lifetimes — we are living longer in general and millions of us already have the proteins that can cause dementia actively at work in our brains.

So much stigma is associated with the term “mental health.” Indeed, most people, I would argue, do not want to discuss the topic, nor admit when they have challenges, let alone discuss the topic of other people’s issues. Sadly, this reluctance often leads to dire consequences- isolation, addiction, and suicide in ever increasing numbers.

MENTAL HEALTH: Page 17

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GENERATIONS

SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022 | 17

MENTAL HEALTH From Page 16

While considering what I might contribute to our community via this Generations segment of the West Central Tribune, our experiences with mom’s dementia and how people have reacted to her prognosis have been mixed.

While there have been many acts of kindness, the overall impression I’ve experienced is one of disappointment. I figured that friends and family might be more inclined to want to help out, or at least be in contact with mom while she was dealing with her condition, yet by and large this did not happen.

In the three and a half years I’ve lived back in Willmar, only a handful of people called or stopped by to visit Colleen even though many others had voiced their intentions to do so someday. I know people are busy in their own lives, yet I had hoped for their sake as well as my mother’s, that somehow connections of many decades would continue even as mom’s dementia progressed.

Colleen Kellen, pictured here in this undated photo, stands beside a portrait taken of herself. Kellen had Alzheimer’s for nearly 10 years, but retained her sense of humor, if not her memories, according to her son, John.

Contributed / John Kellen

MENTAL HEALTH: Page 18

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18 | SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022

MENTAL HEALTH From Page 17

My intention here is not to be judgmental, rather to suggest that people consider their own views on the topic and hopefully become more open and empathic going forward in their own lives with the people they know and care about.

The title for this piece “Do’s and Taboos” came from a book I used while teaching cross cultural relations and international business at the University of Arizona. It seems somehow apropos given the taboo of speaking about mental illness.

“Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands” was another volume I had my students read that had similar helpful information. These books offered several ways people of different cultures could identify customs and be self-aware of what appropriate behavior is and what behavior is not appropriate.

I am by no means an expert in this realm, just a layperson trying to understand what might make a positive difference to those I care about and fellow community members. My hope is that people reach out to each other now more than ever given a pandemic in progress and political divisions that have driven wedges between families, friends, and colleagues.

GENERATIONS Reframing the issue as Dr. Daniel Amen suggests in his recent book “The End of Mental Illness” and focusing on wholeperson brain health rooted in neuroscience and hope has been an eye-opener for me and I highly recommend reading his work. This book “discards an outdated, stigmatizing paradigm that taints people with disparaging labels, preventing them from getting the help they need.”

Although this book comes too late to do much physiologically for my mother, it offers useful suggestions for the rest of us.

Dr. Amen and his colleagues outline a blueprint for brain health going forward titled “BRIGHT MINDS” based on the concept that to have a healthy mind, you must have a healthy brain. He identifies eleven risk factors that steal your mind and shows you how to avoid them: blood flow, retirement/aging, inflammation, genetics, head trauma, toxins, mind storms (abnormal brain electrical activity), immunity/infections, neurohormone issues, diabesity, sleep.

In the coming year my wish is for us as society to be kinder to each other, to listen more/talk less and to look inward Contributed / John Kellen at our own prejudices and taboos and do Colleen Kellen, pictured here in this undated photo, looks over the scenery unto others as we would have done unto below while visiting the Mount Tom Monument in Sibley State Park. ourselves.

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GENERATIONS

SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022 | 19

Safe ways for seniors to volunteer Metro Creative Connection

Charitable organizations rely on the efforts of volunteers to meet their missions every day. People of all ages can volunteer, and a great number of volunteers are seniors.

A 2016 survey from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that nearly one-quarter of American volunteers are age 65 and over. That was never more apparent than during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many nonprofit organizations were suddenly forced to confront a volunteer shortage due to the adoption of social distancing guidelines that were designed to keep vulnerable populations, such as seniors, as safe as possible. One study from Fidelity Charitable found that two out of three volunteers decreased or stopped contributing time during the pandemic.

The rollout of various COVID-19 vaccines has allowed vaccinated individuals to return to a certain degree of pre-pandemic normalcy. However, the threat posed by strains of the virus like the Delta variant has made some seniors apprehensive about returning to volunteering. Though each individual should consider various factors before returning to volunteering during the pandemic, the following are some options seniors can consider as they aim to safely pitch in once again.

Pitch in with fundraising

Look for contactless opportunities

Interactions with the people they help and work alongside is what drives many volunteers to lend a helping hand. That’s especially so for seniors whose children have grown up and moved out. In person interactions may be too risky during the pandemic, but seniors can still volunteer via contactless opportunities. For example, in lieu of delivering meals by hand, seniors who work with organizations such as Meals on Wheels can deliver prepackaged meals outside recipients’ residences.

A report from Giving USA released in 2021 revealed that Americans gave more to charity in 2020 than in 2019. That increase came in spite of an economic downturn that saw millions of people lose their jobs or take pay cuts as companies scrambled to deal with lost revenue related to the pandemic.

Though giving might have increased in 2020, many nonprofit organizations, including local community theaters, likely suffered due to cancellations and audience restrictions. As a result, many local nonprofit organizations are in need of financial support. Seniors who want to pitch in but stay safe can volunteer to help local organizations raise funds. Seniors can participate in fundraising efforts from the comforts of their own homes.

Offer professional expertise

Many seniors retired after spending decades mastering their crafts, and that experience can be an invaluable resource to local nonprofit organizations. Seniors can offer professional advice and mentor youths remotely via apps like Zoom without putting their physical health at risk.

Seniors concerned for their safety can still lend a hand by volunteering with their favorite nonprofit organizations.

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20 | SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022

GENERATIONS