Dear Rotarians and friends,
I was invited to give a speech to the Merck Women’s Network this week and I decided to focus on “making a difference” after reading a LinkedIn post from a senior Merck executive a couple of weeks ago recommending that we each do our part.
Now that I am thinking about the topic, I can see people “making a difference” everywhere, and it is beautiful.
My favorite example of someone “making a difference” over the past couple of weeks jumped out at me on Monday night. I was in Mechanicsburg, PA visiting my parents and every night somewhere between 4 and 6, they typically go to the Silver Spring diner for dinner. They each usually have a drink and a cup of soup and split a sandwich while they check in on the wait staff to see what is happening in their lives. My mother refers to it as her other home. Their favorite waitress was there on Monday and she was so patient and kind. My parents are 87 and 88 and have dementia, so ordering can take a while. She waited while they thought about what they wanted and she made some suggestions based on what she knows they like when they got stuck. They felt safe, valued and cared for.
When I went to the cash register to pay the bill, the waitress was there so I thanked her for being so patient and kind. She told me that my parents are her favorite customers and that she sticks around every day until they come, which sometimes ends up being after her shift is supposed to be over. Just as they feel cared for by her, she feels cared for by them as they ask her about her husband and children, and she shares the latest updates.
It is hard to figure out how best to care for my parents as they age. It seems as though they would benefit from some caregiving, but they greatly value independent living and vehemently reject having strangers in their home or any suggestions about moving into a retirement facility. My two brothers and I take turns checking in on them, and I take them to doctor’s appointments, pay their bills, and help when things go wrong at home so they can live on their own for as long as possible. Knowing that they are treated with such kindness every day by the waitress at their favorite diner gives me such great peace of mind.
This experience reminds me that “making a difference” does not always need to be a grand gesture. It can be the result of simple acts of kindness as we do our work and go through our daily lives.
Thanks for helping me make a difference!
Kate Hoath
President