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A Bittersweet Recovery<br />
By: Samantha Rivero / Senior Life Specialist<br />
As I’m sitting here writing this, the memories<br />
are slowly recirculating in my mind.<br />
Uncomfortable silence, uncertainty, courage<br />
and resilience blend into each other like a<br />
delicate armor. As a professional in the Senior<br />
Living industry, I got to see firsthand behind<br />
the walls of lockdown.<br />
When Covid turned our lives upside down,<br />
we fought back. Now the healing begins.<br />
Hope ignites as our doors reopen to visitors<br />
and loved one’s re-enter after months of<br />
separation. Our piano plays once again, after<br />
lying dormant and laughter fills the hallways,<br />
leaving my heart heavy with gratitude.<br />
As a Lifestyle Director, Covid regulations<br />
encouraged me to grow and think outside<br />
the box. Like so many activity professionals that had to keep the light<br />
shining as the darkness set in, we were the line of defense that kept<br />
residents from declining from loneliness, isolation and fear.<br />
I smile when I remember how team members and I road on a valet<br />
cart down the corridors lip singing to the song “Celebration” by Kool<br />
and the Gang, during such difficult times. One by one, the apartment<br />
doors opened as residents isolated to their rooms sat in their door<br />
frames waving their hands back and forth to the music.<br />
“Celebrate?” One might think odd during a time of Covid, but in fact<br />
it was just the opposite. Every day was a chance to celebrate life and<br />
encourage hope. It wasn’t a time to stop and<br />
surrender.<br />
Families remained connected to their loved<br />
ones through social media. Activity programs<br />
were reinvented at six feet distance and<br />
although anxieties set in; residents only saw<br />
my positive spirit.<br />
It’s a bittersweet moment as our communities<br />
reopen and restrictions lift. I dedicate this to<br />
the incredible people that passed from Covid.<br />
Your light will not be forgotten.<br />
As we come out from behind the scenes,<br />
let us heal and grieve with victory. For all the<br />
amazing healthcare workers who risked their own lives and those that<br />
work on the front lines, everyone who contributed to the battle - you’re<br />
all heroes.<br />
Samantha Noelle Rivero is a Lifestyle Director with over ten years’<br />
experience in Senior Living and specializes in Purpose Driven<br />
Care. Contact her at: Seniorlifespecialistusa@gmail.com.<br />
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