Last week was a record breaker and not in a good way. For the first time ever I attended 3 funerals in one week. It was a true example of the circle of life because it was not all Share the Care clients that passed. It was a sampling of our Share the Care world.
We lost our own beloved Millie Phillips. Millie was a Program Assistant with Share the Care for 16 years. She worked at several of our day centers most recently at College Park. She was a woman of great energy, creativity and commitment to the mission. She had style. She loved her work, her co-workers and most of all - those she served. Her last day of work was in early September and she succumbed to cancer a few weeks later. She was 65 years old. Millie you will be missed so by many but you will remain in our hearts forever!
Our Conway Center Director, Yvonne Miller, lost her mother Blanche. Yvonne has worked at Share the Care for 14 years. She started as the Director at the Downtown Center then moved to Conway when we opened there. Yvonne has been with us all these years because she moved here from New York to care for her mother. She is a caregiver who has also provided great care, with love, to others. We are grateful to Blanche for bringing us Yvonne. Blanche was 96. Our heart goes out to Yvonne and her family for their loss.
We also lost Mr. Robert Pettigrew. Robert and his wife Rose have been a part of our Share the Care family for 12 years. Robert attended several of our day centers over the years including both College Park and Conway. He was a gentle and soft spoken man who lived a life of many accomplishments. Rose is a dedicated wife who exhibited love and grace in her role as caregiver. Indeed I doubt she really considered herself a caregiver rather, simply a loving wife and partner to Robert. Last week Robert fell asleep in his own bed, at their home, and did not wake up. He was 98 years old.
All of these stories, though they are about loss, are also about success. The success felt by both Share the Care and by Millie that we found each other; the success that Yvonne had in caring for her mother for all these years and also for other caregivers; and, the success that Rose had in keeping Robert home, loved and cared for all his 98 years!
So, as you can see, we are not only a team but a winning team! These are just a few of the many success stories that happen every day in our world. Share the Care is about people in families helping other people in families to live their lives in the best way possible.