Last year was exhausting, and everyone at Brandermill Woods is excited to have finally turned the page on 2020. Although the coronavirus is still with us, we are optimistic about what 2021 will bring. Vaccines are being distributed, the days are already getting a little longer, and we are making plans for our spring and summer activities calendars.
In December 2019, we published a blog post reflecting on the end of the 2010s and a look at the year ahead. It is surreal to think back before COVID-19 and to reread what we posted:
Uncertainty may exist around the world today, as it always does, but one interesting aspect of being in the senior living industry is you’re surrounded by a lot of wisdom. Many of our residents were born at the tail end of the Great Depression or during World War II, so they’ve experienced plenty of ups and downs, from Pearl Harbor to Watergate to 9/11.
They’ve seen it all, and “strength in longevity” would make a pretty good motto for our organization.
Although we had no idea what was coming, the spirit of our residents really did help us make it through the year. There really is a lot of wisdom in our community, and we are so proud of the way everyone rose to the challenge of social distancing, stringent cleaning and mask protocols, and the abundance of caution we all had to comport ourselves with.
Looking ahead, here are three lessons we took from 2020 that we believe we will carry with us forever:
1. Health matters most.
In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, food and security are at the bottom of the pyramid. You have to take care of your basic needs before you pursue other pleasures, and last year made clear that health and wellness are of the utmost importance. But wellness means more than staying healthy during a pandemic. Healthy eating, physical activity and a regular wellness program are all keys to living the good life.
2. Love and friendships are crucial for wellness.
At the height of the virus last spring, we all had to find ways to be creative. At Brandermill Woods, that meant finding ways to help our residents connect, whether it was through virtual calls or outdoor meetups with distancing in place. What the experience brought home was that you cannot put a price on social activities and the way we need to connect with each other. One thing we are most looking forward to on the other side of the pandemic is kicking our activities calendar into high gear.
3. Find joy in everyday moments.
There is nothing like a national lockdown to make you appreciate the small things in life, such as finding abundant toilet paper on the shelves. While we strive to make our community a vibrant place to live with all the world-class amenities you can find in Richmond, Virginia, we are also consciously trying to appreciate the small moments in life: the cup of tea with a friend, a delicious dessert after dinner, a favorite song on the radio. There is wisdom in finding something to be joyful about every day.
May we all be blessed in 2021 with a year of good health, good friends, and everyday joy!
