The photo above is from our Blessing of the Hands ceremony.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.
~Romans 12: 10-11
As I reflect on our CNAs during this week of remembering them, I am blessed with thoughts of our CNAs faces; faces of joy, love, compassion, humor, and dedication.
I know that many struggle with hardship in their personal lives. Most don’t have much, if any, personal time, or time to replenish and restore their bodies with enough rest and sleep.
Yet what comes to my mind most is Shanika laughing as she takes long strides down the hall, Jackie calmly assisting an elder with a drink on her way to doing another errand, Matt creatively finding ways to redirect elders from positions where they might fall, and Julia working hour upon hour with a kind smile and polite goodness to the elders she serves.
Then there’s Genie, professionally using her restorative skills, Jarica doing endless tasks with kindness and a pleasant face, Brandy looking out for people with a sweet, loving spirit, and Leola faithfully serving with dependability. I don’t want to forget Andrea’s humor and good nature, or Mary’s friendly kindness or Helen’s diligence.
And what about Stephanie who does whatever she is called to do–which is a variety of jobs—with excellence born of deep kindness and a strong sense of responsibility; and Shelley who takes on extra responsibility to help bring and create special meals for her coworkers?
I could go on and on. The bad part of this small remembrance is that although I made my point with several examples, I did not include all of them. Our CNAs are uniquely gifted and all of them together make our Oakview home truly home.