In 1946, Paul Harvey added “…and now you know the rest of the story” to his well-known radio broadcasts.
As I sat thinking about things one Sunday, I wondered what that phrase meant to me. My mind wandered to phrases like:
I’ve lived fun adventures—well, I did seven ziplines at 73, didn’t I?
There are some wild pictures of me—praying that the one taken on 4th grade school picture day and my brother “Bryl Creamed” my hair is lost forever.
I have a wonderful family—husband, 2 sons and 3 granddaughters—all doing well so far.
I am relatively healthy—okay, not 100% but how many are at my age?
There is much more, but so what? Am I living well?
Several scholars have published theories about human needs, stages of personal development, and the dimensions of wellness. Remembering this, I took stock of how I am doing when I apply them to my “old age.” As I consider this, I also have to take stock of Willow Brook Christian Communities (WBCC) because this is where I have chosen to live. This is a partnership.
One of the developmental stages of my older years is to review and bring meaning and peace to the life I have led. It means looking at all aspects of my life—a holistic review, if you will. I started taking a review of my status as it relates to physical, intellectual, social, emotional, vocational, and the spiritual aspects of my previous years and of the years I am now living here at Willow Brook at Delaware Run (WBDR.)
There is not one aspect of my status list that caused me to stop in my tracks and reconsider. I’ve always done pretty well. My faith and family have helped me in some of the past ups and downs.
Now, here at WBDR, everything from the quality of staffing, housing, meals and activities is top-notch. There are many choices that address every aspect of my review.
It is always a personal choice to be positive: to listen and open myself to new people and new experiences; to take advantage of all the activities that interest me; and, to help build community with my neighbors. Choosing WBCC was the best choice ever.
Guess what? I am living extremely well and “…now you know the rest of the story” at least up until today.
