“Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, faith looks up.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
2017 was in many ways pretty tough, even violent – with the natural weather disasters and not-so-natural violence too.
But on Monday, August 21, 2017, all of North America was looking up. We were treated to an eclipse of the sun.
We have 21 Senior Housing Communities in 7 states. Whether the eclipse was in the path of totality or not, our care teams and elders were looking up for a glimpse of this phenomena. Lots of people were looking up! Everyone in the contiguous United States, in fact, everyone in North America plus parts of South America, Africa, and Europe saw at least a partial solar eclipse, while the thin path of totality passed through portions of 14 states – including Oregon and Illinois, where some of our communities are located.
We had the opportunity firsthand to witness a celestial event so sublime that it’s been called “one of the most awe-inspiring spectacles in all of nature.”
Looking back on 2017 – this day was one of the highlights of our shared experience! Elders and young people, families, and care team members stopped for a moment – looked up into the heavens with awe, and felt connected to the goodness of one another, and the goodness of the universe.
About the Author: Jean Garboden is the Director of Education and Innovation at Compass Senior Living, located in Eugene Oregon. Jean is an Elder Advocate and Eden Alternative Educator with over 30 years’ experience in not-for-profit and for-profit healthcare organizations. She is honored to lead the mission and values culture development for Compass Senior Living. Jean lives in Las Vegas, Nevada where she enjoys the weather and volunteers with the Nevadans for the Common Good, advocating for caregivers and elders in southern Nevada
