November 2017 Sunburst.Indd
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November THE SUNBURST 2017 719 Maiden Choice Lane, Catonsville, MD 21228 2017 M G S B C If you were able to a end this year’s Gala, you enjoyed an evening full of mystery and intrigue coupled with delicious food and drinks. This year’s event ne ed $86,000 for the Benevolent Care program. The Philanthropy Department would like to extend its gra tude and thanks to the sponsors, underwriters, a endees and donors, Community Resources, Catering and Dining, Housekeeping, Benevolent Care Commi ee, Charlestown Woodshop, and volunteers who worked the event. It takes many hands to help make this event a great success each year. We have already begun thinking of ideas for next year. If you have a theme sugges on, please let us know! Pa Santoni, Philantropy Manager WORTH THE WAIT the Brookside elevator repair, changes in leadership and programs, etc. Chesapeake and Brookside seemed to be especially challenging as the Without a doubt this year has brought us a few length of me it took to get back to “normal opera on” was long and changes and challenges! For many of us, change tested our collec ve pa ence. is diffi cult and not easy to embrace. For most of us, challenges require us to prac ce our virtues: For the majority of us, pa ence doesn’t come easily. And when it does pa ence, understanding, tolerance, kindness and come, it’s o en fl ee ng. The rest of the me, we rush, we interrupt, Clara Parker, ED gra tude. we get exasperated. From decisions made in haste to words spoken without refl ec on, impa ence can cause a vast amount of pain, waste and I’ve been challenged by change in my own personal life this year – fi rst damage. with building a new house, then losing that house, being without a home for a while, then fi nally se ling into a wonderfully beau ful new home Fortunately, even if we aren’t born with a great deal of pa ence, it’s a that is everything I could have dreamed of (although considerably larger virtue that even the most agitated among us can develop. It’s a skill, than I will ever need). It was a stressful and exhaus ng journey but now according to American Buddhist nun Pema Chodron, that we can hone that I am through it…it feels smaller somehow. Looking back I can refl ect with focus and prac ce. You may be wondering how or why I know on how I may have been a bit more drama c and emo onal about the anything about an American Buddhist nun. I don’t know much yet, but whole thing than I needed to be. Go fi gure. About half way through my I’m seeking to learn ways to develop my own pa ence and help us, as experience, I fi nally embraced a few concepts: a community, prac ce this virtue more inten onally so that we can live 1. The only thing I can change is me, star ng with my a tude. and work harmoniously with gra tude and apprecia on for each other. 2. I can choose to be distraught or I can choose to embrace my situa on and fi nd the good in it. Chodron outlines three methods for developing pa ence: 3. What doesn’t kill me will make me stronger. 1. Start Seeing Diff erently – Most impa ence begins as a feeling of 4. God would not give me anything that I can’t handle. discomfort, then nega ve thoughts begin to roll in like storm clouds – frustra ng thoughts on how something or somebody should be moving Once I got those concepts clear in my head, it was like a door was opened! faster or doing something diff erently. Our conscious mind is searching for I was able to lean into my situa on and fi nd ways to enjoy it! I got to an object to blame. She suggests: see my family and friends a lot more o en. We ate out at some amazing a. Bypass blame: rather than faul ng anyone in par cular, try restaurants. I didn’t have to clean the house or go to the grocery store entertaining that it just is. Who knows, it may even turn out to something or worry about the electric bill. It was, in hindsight, a quite libera ng you learn from. experience and I am a be er person for it. b. Be thankful for small blessings. Maybe there is an opportunity to expand yourself through this experience. Try radia ng goodwill instead of At Charlestown, we were challenged by the Chesapeake kitchen fi re, anger. Con nued on page 5. In This Issue Dining Services 6 Community Resources 10 Bulletin Board 15 Board of Directors 2 Puzzle 7 Performing Arts 11 Resident Life 16 Residents’ Council 2 Book Review 8 Philanthropy 12 and more . Erickson Advantage 3 ELLIC 9 General Services 13 Page 2 “Sharing our Gifts to Create a Community that Celebrates Life” November 2017 N F T C B D “We’re Here For You” GIVING THANKS this aspect of her life, she off ers to trade places. As yet, nobody has taken her up on her off er. Thanksgiving is coming up in three weeks. As Likewise, would you really want to live in the Welcome to the Middle Ages, the heralded age of chivalry, which Board Corner! Americans, we are going through diff erent rituals on this day, among them: Watching the Macy’s in fact was wretched for everybody but the parade and/or football, celebra ng/bemoaning nobility? Even they had their share of problems. the survival of the Pilgrims, ea ng turkey, Closer to our mes, some people in England star ng holiday shopping… Oh, yeah, we’re also conducted experiments in living like those in to give thanks somehow before tucking into the the Victorian age, so charmingly depicted in mashed potatoes. Pre y superfi cial, wouldn’t BBC’s Masterpiece series. The par cipants gave Laura Ostroff Richard M. Barnes, Esq. you say, and therefore not very upli ing. up quickly, in disgust, about the s fl ing social a tudes and the hardships of never-ending Ques ons from our Residents to Now, compare this to a person who is truly work. Charlestown’s Board thankful and aware that everything happening How are the Board members selected? to us is a gi . It starts with waking up in the morning: I’m alive. I have the opportunity to So, be grateful for your circumstances and live The process of selec ng a board member for make the world a li le be er today. I have the “Serenity Prayer,” usually a ributed to the the Charlestown Board begins with solici ng a warm bed, a roof over me, and can have Lutheran theologian Reinhold Niebuhr: “God, the names of individuals who have specialized a nutri ous breakfast. Millions of people grant me the serenity to accept the things I knowledge and experience, and who would have none of that, many not even water. I cannot change; courage to change the things I provide insight into important ma ers impact- have companionship with a spouse or fellow can, and wisdom to know the diff erence.” You ing the care of the residents and the long-term residents; I can call or text family members or will be be er for it, and Charlestown and the health of the organiza on. Once individuals are friends. Millions of others are lonesome. I can world will be a be er place. Even a smile, a kind iden fi ed, members of the Governance Commit- turn on my computer or radio or TV and fi nd out word, a helping hand are small but eff ec ve tee, the Chairperson and the Vice Chairperson what’s happening in the world. Millions have no ways to express our thanks for the many gi s we of the Board spend me with each person to access to outside communica ons and must live have received. discuss his or her experiences and interests. It is in ignorance with distorted facts and opinions. Even if I suff er from ailments of advanced age preferred that the person have previous Board Steve Harders, President experience and a strong desire to serve the or an actual, possibly life-threatening illness, I needs of others. The en re Board votes on the know that medical care is available just around addi on of new members. Members have term the corner. I also may recognize that my health Guests — Part 2 limits and are re-elected for three-year terms. condi on may have made me more pa ent with myself and others, and more understanding and Last month we spoke about our welcome for caring. The more you look, the more you fi nd for Why are there so many people on the Board? guests (visitors). Guests are friends and family, which to be grateful. maybe not your friends or family. This month, I Charlestown is a vital community that provides want to discuss confl icts that can arise in sharing services to a diverse group of residents with a It’s a fundamental insight that anything that our facili es with guests. These confl icts require variety of needs. To meet those needs, it is es- happens has at least one other dimension to respec ul resolu on as we all learn how to sen al that the Board be staff ed with individuals it.