Here's to Our Sweethearts

One of my favorite jobs has been working at a senior community in Duluth, Georgia, Parc at Duluth, as Activities Director. I had the privilege of planning all the “fun stuff”. I was especially onboard and excited about planning for all the holidays, with one exception, Valentine’s Day.

I worried that a focus on this holiday would bring sadness to my senior friends in the community. Most residents were single and had lost their spouse some time ago. Wouldn’t it be insensitive to bring attention to Valentine’s Day? Or would it be insensitive to avoid the topic?

A peer suggested a Valentine’s event that involved having a beautiful Sweetheart Dinner.

If their sweetheart was still living, they would bring them as a dinner date, or their sweetheart had passed away, they could bring a photo of them so they could share their love story with their tablemates. I cautiously moved forward with the project unsure of how this would turn out.

Our activities team went to work making sure all the dining tables were appropriately dressed for the occasion. Entertainment was hired to provide music for listening and dancing. I checked and rechecked the reservations and to my surprise, we were filling up quickly.

The evening of the Sweetheart Dinner I moved around the dining room to visit with the residents. The room was aglow with red and pink but also with smiles. I quickly saw that on top of many tables were pictures that residents brought in to show their friends and talk about their sweetheart. Their spouse may have passed away but their love for them had not. It was a joyous and sweet time listening to them share details about their sweetheart and tell their love stories.

Many brought wedding pictures and the women loved explaining the details of their dress just as all brides do. They spoke of their life together and lit up as they were doing so. The pictures were from a different era, and a different time in their life. The edges were worn and the paper slightly yellowed, but the memories were fresh and sweet.

My senior adult friends taught me that telling the stories of their sweetheart was a joyful experience.

I keep wedding pictures of family members on my collage wall. My parents and in-laws’ wedding pictures are part of that collection. My dad and Doug’s dad have both passed away. When I glance up there and see those photos, I know that although our moms miss our dads, the memories of their lives together are still dear to them.

With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, keep in mind the joy that a senior adult can experience by sharing their love story with someone. Take an opportunity to ask them about their wedding or how they met their spouse. Watch as their eyes light up as they tell their love story.

Here’s to our sweethearts!

Lori Bochat owns and operates Right at Home North Georgia in Woodstock, Georgia with her husband Doug.