Short and Sweet

by Christian Schreiber, Staff Blogger

"Never regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many." These are the first words Marilyn greeted me with when I entered her apartment at Village Woods, the Providence retirement community in Crete, Illinois. Marilyn is 93 years old and has lived at Village Woods for 23 years, longer than anyone else. She is colorful and pleasant, with an unmistakable voice. The stashes of Keebler snack packs and bottled Frappuccinos give away her love for sweets, but she is generous and offers me refreshments throughout our conversation.

Looking at the old photographs and news clippings posted on Marilyn's walls, it's clear that Marilyn has always been a character. A diminutive dynamo with big hair, big glasses, and flowery dresses, she poses with politicians — and they are the ones who fade into the background. She shows me the birthday cards that George W. Bush sent her — and I wonder how the President of the United States knows this 93-year-old Assisted Living resident is a Mark Grace fan.

I had a wonderful visit with this funny little lady, and I wanted you to meet her too. There's no profound life lesson in today's blog, no moral of the story. I'll just keep it short and sweet. Like Marilyn.

Unrealized Gems

by Christian Schreiber, staff blogger

Edna never really wanted to be a dancer — she was very shy as a child and had no aspirations for fame and fortune. But her parents enrolled her in dance classes when she was three, and she danced until she was 22 and got married. Three of those years she danced professionally.

I met Edna just last week. She is 86 now and lives in a Providence skilled nursing community in Palos Heights, Illinois. One of the staff there had told me that Edna used to dance, so I went to visit her and find out more about the woman she was before Providence.

She was pleasant and gracious, although I could still sense the shy child she told me she had been. It's clear that Edna doesn't prefer to talk about herself. She answered my questions kindly but seemed a little apprehensive about being "in the spotlight."

And that's exactly why she didn't make a career of dancing. Yes, she was good enough — she taught a young Danny Thomas the time-step (a tap dancing move)! "He was a quick learner," says Edna. "He was very good." Edna remembers too that Danny had just had a baby girl, and "he was always talking about his daughter. We heard about little Marlo all the time. He was just crazy about her!"

But Edna chose to give up dancing because she was too timid for "all that glitter." She was offered the chance to be Judy Garland's double — in fact, during her performances that final year, when she was introduced, the emcee would announce her as "soon-to-be Judy Garland's dancing double." But Edna didn't take the job. She loved dancing, but she couldn't imagine being famous. So she gave it up.

She married a man who "didn't dance at all," and they had nine children. Those children have taken good care of Edna ever since she was widowed. In fact, one of her daughters was there the day I was speaking with Edna. She's obviously proud of her mom, and she showed me some old photographs and brittle newspaper clippings.

If Edna knew I were blogging about her, she probably would be embarrassed. But I want to share her story because I think it's a beautiful example of the richness of the lives we are part of through Providence. Some of these riches are obvious. Others, like Edna, are unrealized gems. It takes a little time and the right questions to reveal all their facets. But in the right setting, they can really shine.

The Power of Prayer

by Christian Schreiber, staff blogger

Arlene Horn kneels at her bedside every night, in her hand a list of 27 names. It's a class list from a local grade school, and Arlene has agreed to pray for them. "I don't know how to pronounce all their names," she laughs, "but I figure the Lord knows who I'm talking about!"

"I felt led to do it," Arlene shrugs. "Maybe it was the Holy Spirit. I don't know. I just felt led." Arlene lives at Holland Home, the Providence community in South Holland, Illinois. She has never thought of herself as a particularly gifted pray-er, but when she heard that kids at neighboring Calvin Christian School needed prayer partners, she signed up for the program.

Dora Boomstra -- a 16-year Holland Home resident -- also signed up for the program. Dora has been matched with Mrs. Otte's first-grade class. The 25 first-graders sent Dora a class photo and their class list, along with a card they had all signed. Dora prays for one student by name each day. "I don't always know what they need, but if something particular comes to mind, I make sure to pray about that -- because I believe God is leading me to pray that way." On the "extra" days of the month, Dora prays for the teacher, for the class as a whole, or for Calvin school in general.

The prayers go both ways. Dora wrote a letter to her class, asking them to remember her in prayer as well. She included a photo of herself -- "so they can see that I'm perhaps somewhat like their own grandmas" -- and she's hoping to visit the class in person later this spring.

In addition to Dora Boomstra and Arlene Horn, three other Holland Home residents signed up for the prayer partner program immediately. Gladys Kooy was partnered with the eighth-grade class at Calvin; Anna Bakker was paired with the seventh-graders; and Cleo Sanders agreed to pray for the fourth-grade class.

What a terrific program! It gives the seniors a chance to do something significant for the South Holland community; it teaches the students the value of prayer; and it involves both groups in each other's lives. Dora has already told me that she plans to sign up for the program again next year, and she wants to keep the class that she has now -- she wants to pray them all the way through graduation! I think that's sweet.