Personal Narrative: Brookdale Senior Living

It was weird to think that I was once uncomfortable at Brookdale Senior Living. I knew that having volunteer work on my resume was valuable, but I never pictured myself spending almost every summer morning with a group of friends who were well over 80. It began last summer when I found myself spending an obscene amount of time lying by the pool and acting as if it were impossible to wake up before noon. Forcing myself to make my summer productive, I opened those big double doors into, what seemed like at the time, a home for some less-than-spunky grandparents. Although overwhelming at first, it took just one round of cards with the residents to get me hooked for the rest of the summer. Fast forward through several batches of cookies, a few painted birdhouses, and some advanced crossword puzzles, I felt like a part of the community. I began humming to Frank Sinatra on the jukebox and knowing who preferred coffee or tea at breakfast. Although the air conditioning made Brookdale suitable for polar bears, I never felt uneasy there again. You might think that elderly folks tend to be a little slow, but

She is known as the “Kleptomaniac in Pink” as she cruises through the halls with her walker that holds items from all rooms at Brookdale. A fresh apple from the kitchen, a stapler from the front desk, and a fake flower from the vase in the dining room, she will grab anything that her weary back allows her to reach. I’ll never forget the first time I walked into her room. I had just arrived and was looking for someone to bake cookies with. Millie and I always loved to bake together because I enjoyed doing the work and she enjoyed acting as if she did anything at all. We made quite the duo. We’d start each visit with a routine kiss on the cheek and a good joke about what a little old lady she was. We brightened each other’s day and it was a positive energy exchange I didn’t normally