At my job, I have the pleasure of working with some wonderful elderly people. It’s not like spending everyday at Grandma’s, getting fresh baked cookies and newly knitted scarves all the time. Some days are stressful, as I’m finding not all seniors are sweet little grandparents. Some days are especially hard, as I watch some residents slip away mentally, and others slip away all together. Death is always a looming possibility at my job, and it’s hard to not get too attached.

On the whole, my job is a lot of fun. I play games and plan parties. I get to use my music and do sing-a-longs and direct a handbell choir with tone chimes. One of the best parts of my job has been watching the Gangsta Grannies evolve. Now, if you haven’t heard of or seen them, I simply can’t explain it. You must click on the link I attached and watch it.

Now that you’ve had a good laugh and are feeling great having watched that, let me share some of the things I’ve learned by working with sweet ladies such as Tiger Lily, Bloody Mary, and Butterfly (those are their stage gangsta names…). I have seen what it means to truly live life to the fullest. I see all kinds of seniors at my job. I see those that are healthy, happy, and fulfilled, even way into their 90s. I see those that exercise every morning and keep working the physical parts that they have. They may not be as limber or as energetic as they once were, but they’re working with what they have and they are an inspiration to me.

The other kind I see are those that seemed to have given up. They seem to live in the past, wishing they were still young, agile, and fit. I see residents whose vision and hearing is faltering, and they obsess over it. Every time I see them, they tell me how they can’t see very well. Now, I know that for some this is a memory thing, and I try to patiently listen every time they tell me this for the first time. But for some, I think it’s that they can’t seem to move past it. They can’t get over the fact that they can’t see/hear/move well anymore. I understand that it must be the most frustrating thing in the world. But I also feel that it’s something you need to learn to live with, and work through. This is what you have at the moment, so use it. Move past it, and figure out how to live your life to the fullest in your current capacity.

Now, I understand this is easy for me to say, still being young and relatively spry. But I feel that I am learning lessons that I hope to carry on into my senior years. I am learning how important it is to take care of myself now. I am being more diligent about eating right and exercising regularly. When I grow up, I want to be a Gangsta Granny… someone who is enjoying life and showing the world how fun the senior years can be.