Senior Soundtrack: All You Need Is Love
Love is in the air! As the dull, dreariness of winter begins to fade, the fresh, newness of spring gets closer with each day. Soon flowers will begin to bud and blossom while we walk with loved ones in the warmth of the golden sun without feeling the need to wear a heavy coat. Here at the Vineyards, we’re celebrating the coming of the season and the sense of community that brings us together.
A community is more than just a geographical distinction. In a larger sense, it’s a home; a home that is filled with neighbors that you share your life with each day. Dr. Lisa Fortuna, a psychologist at the Boston Medical Center defines a community as a place where people take care of each other. Maintaining friendships, communicating with others, and sharing common interests are all essential elements to living a full and healthy life.
Neighbors aren’t just people who live next door; they’re friends with whom you share your life. This is a great reminder that one of the most important parts of a community, both big and small, is love.
These relationships are not just elements that help us live fuller lives but they help garner a sense of community that impacts our daily lives, helping us better understand what it means to love and share the spirit of kindness with others.
In The Beatles’ hit song “All You Need Is Love” John Lennon famously sings “there’s nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be.” Regardless of where you are or where you go, everyone has a purpose and a place.
According to the National Institute on Aging, social relationships are consistently associated with biomarkers of health. When we interact positively with others, we share the mental and physical benefits of exercising our capability to socially interact.
In this time of year, as we celebrate the special relationships in our lives, we should be mindful to continue this spirit year round by reaching out to people in a way that makes them feel valued, appreciated, and most of all, loved.
Living in a place where we feel needed and appreciated affirms in ourselves that we belong, that we have something to share, and that we are loved. A community is a place that we live, a place that we love, and a place that we can call home.
At The Vineyards California Armenian Home, we’re always aiming to provide meaningful ways for people to come together and create a sense of belonging, and most importantly, provide a place to feel loved.
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Senior Soundtrack is an ongoing series that looks at life at The Vineyards through the music that shaped The Greatest Generation. The Vineyards California Armenian Home is proud to support and utilize the Music and Memory© program to help our residents live fuller, happier lives in a place where their care is our privilege and our priority. For more information about our memory support programs, visit our website at https://lifeatthevineyards.org/memory-care/.
