Ohana Means Family

Brianna R. of St. Jeans Baptiste Chapter grows her appreciation for family with the help of Gladys, a senior. 

Family. One word. Many meanings. My family has always meant the world to me, and I have always appreciated the strong bonds I share with them. One GlamourGals visit in particular helped me to further cherish these connections. During my time at the nursing home, I met a beautiful woman named Gladys. She reminisced of a time where she experienced fame and was in the spotlight with her two sisters. I ended up looking at all the inspiring pictures hung on her wall, and I was eager to find out more about her life.

As Gladys delved deeper into her stories, I discovered that we were more alike than different. She loved her family with all her heart, just like me. In addition, like me, Gladys treasured all her memories. Despite the age gap, we related to each other through our devotion to our families. By the end of our initial meeting, Gladys told me that she enjoyed my presence and needed more of it in her life.

When I was with Gladys, I found a song on Youtube that she used to sing in her glory days. Once the tune began to play, her whole face lit up with pure happiness. She began to sing along. In this moment, Gladys reminded me of my beloved grandmother with her laugh, captivating stories, and her love of family.

 My time with Gladys impacted me deeply. It is hard to find the words to describe how touched I was. From my interaction with seniors, I have learned that we must be present in the lives of the people we love. When we open up and share our lives, we can begin to understand each other better and see all of our commonalities. By volunteering with GlamourGals, people can make strides to eradicate senior isolation, creating a newfound sense of family with the elderly.