Lasting Connections

Today is Easter 2010. Yesterday while carting through the crowded aisles at Safeway I was enveloped in that all too familiar feeling, the sense of loss. Fourteen months ago my mom died of lung cancer. At two months shy of her 80th birthday she was still the driving family force, and with an amazing show of courage and a sense of moving on to a new adventure, she left us.

As we each continue to recover from “life without Evelyn in it” I am struck by the personal growth that happens in life during the most challenging of times and circumstances. I had a friend while living in Alaska who’s mantra became, “What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger.” He wasn’t much older than me, but had experienced great loss, and yet managed to maintain an attitude of hope and humor.

I’m seeing, that no matter what age we are, life is a continual renewal of learning and searching for our own sense of purpose and meaning. I feel a renewed sense of excitement and hope today.

About Cindy Heilman

Cindy is the founder and owner of Kind Dining®, which she began in 2006. She’s traveled across the country and Canada working with and training senior living communities that want to create an exceptional dining experience for their residents and staff. In addition, she certifies select professionals in her Kind Dining® philosophy and provides tools, now in an eLearning format, that make learning stick and help people put insights into action. As a result of her work, clients often share their staff has a new sense of purpose, get along better and keep their focus and energy on what matters most. In fact, she wrote a book, Hospitality for Boomers on how to attract residents and keep good team members. In her free time, she enjoys walking Oregon trails and cheering on her favorite soccer teams, the Portland Thorns and Timbers.

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