What Did I Learn?

Find out by watching!

Matthew Zolla

P.S. See you after Christmas break, best friends.

Best Friends - A Temporary Ending

     So I'm not big on goodbyes. Hence the title of this post - while this chapter of my time with Best Friends is ending, I like to think there is always some continuation of it waiting in the future. The folks involved in the program (and there are a lot!) are all fantastic people, who I would lament having to give an official goodbye to. This was reflected today in how my last time volunteering went. I was "best friends" with a funny man with wispy hair, a catchphrase, and a lot of attitude. This catchphrase was asking if a random lady sitting around the table was my "girlfriend." I played along, and eventually he confided that one of them was his girlfriend. A surprise indeed! Through all his banter and funny quips, he had no idea this was my last time volunteering for the semester. How do you tell someone you're likely not going to see them again for a while? So when the time came for me to leave, I had to simply tell him it was nice talking to him, and to have a great Christmas. That is often just how it goes with Best Friends, yet it's beautiful in a way - people wade in and out of the building like some kind of a tide, ebbing and flowing. Oftentimes it felt like I was only a droplet of water in that tide, but looking back, I know we were there for a reason.

Being a small part of such a large effort can feel like you are not
all that important - but the truth is every contribution matters.

While the full/part-time workers and volunteers at Best Friends are amazing and keep everything running smoothly, they can't be everywhere. So on the days where lots of college volunteers show up, I really do think they appreciated our help, and that is wonderful. But really, each time I walk out of Best Friends I can't help but think the people there are teaching me more about life than I am helping them! I suppose that is natural, though - these people have a lot of enlightening, funny (and sometimes awkward!) input that I never could have imagined going in.

     Again, while this is not goodbye, this is a temporary ending. I definitely see myself coming back to Best Friends, especially as I live in Lexington. To that end, I am more invested than ever in the well-being of those with dementia. I know Best Friends is a rare place, and the world needs more of it. Anyways, thank you for following along the past few months! It has been fun.

I am ready for whatever finds me next, be that
with Best Friends or elsewhere in the realm of dementia.

Final Video Post!

Linked below is the final video post for my time at Best Friends - learn about what made Best Friends both fun and challenging over the last few months.

Click here for the YouTube video!

Video Reflection of Best Friends

Here is my video reflection for my time spent volunteering at Best Friends! Enjoy!

Final Impression of My Best Friends

In this video, I will be explaining some of my favorite parts of service learning and some of the challenges I faced throughout the semester. Thank you for reading and watching my blogs throughout the semester.

- Anjae 

Christmas Carols, Coloring, Coffee, and Conversation

With the last few weeks of the semester coming very quickly at the University of Kentucky, 

I have been under so much stress with finals and last minute assignments. 

Fortunately, I had time to take out of my day to relieve this stress by 

volunteering with my best friends. At my visit to Best Friends Day Center, we had our four C’s: 

Christmas carols, coloring, coffee, and conversations.

Picture of people sings songs
Found from:
http://www.merrychristmascardsgreetingsimages.com/christmas-carols-merry-christmas-song/

When I walked in to start my day as a volunteer, I could not help but hear the sweet melody of Christmas carols filling the air. The best part about hearing these awesome songs was the fact that all the participants of Best Friends were singing the songs loud and proud. They were laughing and dancing to the beats of Jingle Bells and many others songs coming out of the radio. Being able to witness this made me have no other choice but to join them. This was one of the best experiences I have had with the members of Best Friends since I have begun volunteering there. Seeing all the smiling faces, happy spirits, and being apart of that joyful time so early in the morning just because of a few old Christmas carols was such an amazing experience for me. Besides dancing and singing to Christmas carols, we got the chance to make beautiful pictures with our coloring skills.

After the happiness calmed down, we all took our seats and picked a picture to color. I do not know about you all but I love to color. My Best Friends love to color as well. Picking out the specific picture they wanted and which colors they wanted to use put huge smiles on their faces. It was such a good time to see how happy they were to do such a simple task as choosing a picture and coloring it.

Picture of an elderly women coloring a picture
Found from: https://www.ourparents.com/california/emeryville/bayside_park_assisted_living

Being able to spend this time with them coloring made them happy, and it also gave me a stress reliever. I was so grateful to just sit and hang out with the members of Best Friends Day Center making them and myself happy. While we finished up our coloring projects, cups of coffee were given to participants. When this was done, we had time to sit and converse.

Coffee and conversations were the most soothing parts of my day at Best Friends Day Center.

Picture of elderly drinking coffee and talking
Found from:https://www.123rf.com/stock-photo/serious_conversation.html 

It was a time for me to get familiar with the members of Best Friends for one last time. We talked about their lives in school and their families. As they sipped on their coffee, many of the members got extremely personal with their stories. One of the members in particular told me about how she lived through Adolf Hitler’s time. She also explained how she used to hide Jews to keep them safe. Just like this lady, all of the members have unique stories from being born in a different country or going through college at the University of Kentucky in their time. Hearing these stories made me feel so good just knowing that I was displaying the Best Friends approach to care by truly being the members best friend.

This trip I took to Best Friends Day Center gave me an abundance of joy. More important than myself, it gave the members of Best Friends Day Center indescribable joy that was written all over their faces. I was extremely happy to have the time to volunteer, have fun, and slow down time with my best friends during the fast paced, chaotic time in my life.

Thank you for reading. Keep looking forward for more posts.

Wrapping It Up At Best Friends

Today was, unfortunately, my last day volunteering for Best Friends, but it was also one of the best times I’ve had there. I went earlier than usual, and on a different day, so I met some people that I hadn’t seen before. The woman I spent time with today was the sweetest lady I’ve ever met. She told me all about what she used to do, her family, and her favorite things to do. It seemed like she has a great life, and I enjoyed talking with her about it. Many people came by and sat down to talk to her while I was there. It was clear that everyone loved her very much.

Someone knew that was there today was a chaplain. He came and talked to everyone about Christmas and what Christmas is really about. It was a great time listening to him. He reminded everyone about how and where Jesus was born, and pointed out that Jesus was born in a very humble place. He was born in a manger in a barn, but he still grew up helping everyone even though he never had much. He then talked about how more people need to be like Jesus and be very humble. I could tell that the Best Friends absolutely loved when the chaplain came because everyone was trying to talk to him and they were so intrigued by what he was saying.

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/10/30/ministering-to-theterminallyill.html

Volunteering at Best Friends has shown me how much these people with these terribly sad diseases enjoy going to a place and relaxing with activities to take part in. Almost everyone is always so happy and singing along to and music that’s playing (which it frequently is), and just enjoying their time with the others.

Hopefully, I’ll find some time in my busy schedule to visit Best Friends some more because I had so much fun spending time with them this semester.

What's the point?

Arnold Schwarzenegger 

Arnold Schwarzenegger once said, “Help others and give something back. I guarantee you will discover that while public service improves the lives and the world around you, its greatest reward is the enrichment and new meaning it will bring your own life.” Service learning is a required assignment for CIS 112, and it is easy to lose the enthusiasm and joy of service as the semester goes by. So I beg the question, “What is the point of these service trips to Best Friends Day Center?” 

I’ll give you my answer.

The first service trip is always awkward. The most difficult part is being enthusiastic and taking time out of your busy day for that first visit. I didn’t know anyone at Best Friends Day Center, and I didn’t know what I’d be doing while I was there. I was scared when I first walked in, but over time, I developed some great relationships with the friends and the other volunteers. Whenever I drive back to UK’s campus after a Best Friends trip, I can’t help but smile and think about the amazing relationships I’ve made with the friends. I now walk through the doors of Best Friends dancing, singing, and having a grand ol’ time. Service feels so good. It’s kind of selfish, I know, but service is rewarding to me because I value my relationships with other people more than anything else. I think you would agree that the world revolves around human relationships. It is human nature to worry and care about other people, and making other people happy is the most satisfying thing to the individual. Someone may say, “Don’t put your happiness in other people,” but it is human nature to do so. When I can make someone smile by leading sing-a-longs or simply handing out ice cream, I feel a sense of fulfillment and purpose that I don’t feel at any other time.

     Purpose is such a general term. Perhaps you’ve asked yourself, “What is my purpose in life? Why am I here?” These are important questions that no one throughout history has answered definitively, but perhaps we can get close to an answer. One can easily find meaning and purpose in life through service, because by it, one is living for the benefit and happiness of others. For example, as a singer, service comes rather easy, especially during the Christmas season. I have found my purpose by singing and caroling around the community of Lexington, including Best Friends Day Center. The entire season of Christmas relies on the power and effectiveness of music for the spirit to come alive in people, and it is a blessing to have been given such a gift that I can share with others. I have found my purpose in life through music, which in a way, is a type of service because the whole goal of music is to share it with as many as people as possible. Music spreads emotion through the power of harmony and emotion, and service has been special to me because it has been an opportunity to spread joy and laugher to Best Friends.

     I would like to thank everyone at Best Friends for allowing me to volunteer there. It has been an absolute pleasure, and I wouldn’t want to have spent my freshman fall semester at UK doing anything else.

    

Final Video Reflection on Service Learning at Best Friends

Hope you guys enjoy hearing about some of my favorite aspects of Best Friends, but also some of the challenges I've faced throughout the semester.  Enjoy! 

Thanks for watching! 

- Madalyn 

A Morning Visit!

Some of the beautiful pinecones the ladies painted! 

With the end of my first semester here at UK approaching, final assignments and exams are becoming more frequent.  Trying to accomplish everything on my to-do list has been leaving me stressed and overwhelmed to say the least.  I have learned that time is precious, especially during finals.  However, volunteering at Best Friends Day Center makes that sacrifice of time all worth it in the end.  Even though I could have been writing a paper, practicing my speech, or studying for a test during that rainy Tuesday morning, I spent it painting pinecones, sharing laughs, and building relationships with people I have grown to love.  Although they won’t remember that morning, our time together impacted them (and me!) in that moment, and that’s all I could really hope for.  

The "Thankful Tree" Painting 

Since I normally go to Best Friends on Friday afternoon with a group of other students, going alone early on a Tuesday morning allowed me to see the day center in a completely different light.  There were significantly less friends there on this particular morning than there normally are in the afternoon.  I saw familiar faces, but also quite a few new ones as well.  It was a much more intimate setting since there were only three or four friends all morning.  It was also all women, so we had a fun “girls” morning — full of        painting, decorating, and crafting! 

A friend writes that she is most thankful for family.

We started off the morning sharing some mid-morning snacks (their favorites are orange sugar wafers and crackers) and some lemonade.  We then moved on to the craft part of the morning.  Since I visited the week before Thanksgiving, all of the friends were collectively working on a “thankful” tree that other volunteers and employees had painted.  Each friend could paint a puzzle piece and then write down what they are most thankful for at this point in their life.  I worked with a lovely woman who chose to paint her puzzle piece pink, saying she was thankful for her family.  Other friends had chose to write things like “life,” “everything,” and “having my mother, father, and sister.”   

Another painted pinecone - this friend
 wanted hers to look like a Christmas tree! 

Afterwards, I helped the other friends paint pinecones to help decorate the facility’s Christmas tree.  We also worked on making little beaded wreaths from pipe cleaners and some donated beads.  These are all great activities for those suffering with irreversible memory loss because the tasks are so hands-on.  Even the women who claimed to not be very good at painting were fantastic once they got the brush in their hand!  Muscle memory is truly an amazing thing.  

Holidays were certainly in the air at Best Friends Day Center!  After crafting, it was time for me to leave.  During those two hours at Best Friends, how many times do you think I thought of my to-do list?  Of school work and finals?  Not one time.  Spending time with my friends at the Day Center always uplifts my spirits and allows me to take my mind off of my stressors and simply focus on what is important — people.  I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to volunteer at Best Friends this semester!  Can’t wait for the visits to come!  

Stay tuned for more posts.  Thanks!  

~ Also, all of the pictures you see above are actual pictures from the Best Friends Day Center.  Although we are unable to take photos with the friends, I got special permission to take photos of the artwork and some of the facility. Hope you enjoy!  ~ 

- Madalyn