Spring is an uplifting season in that we see dormant growth from winter’s wrath shooting up to catch the light of the sun and remind us that after a cold and sometimes bleak period, life can still burst through.

It has been challenging for many of us to recall a time when we actually celebrate the new season and reflect on the next stage before us.

After 2020 and into 2021, optimism is a hard sought commodity but one we need to value and continue to pursue.

Recently, we have seen optimism and hope as clearly as the daffodils in full bloom.

While necessary precautions remain to protect our residents, their family members and our team members, Focused Care has had the privilege in the last few weeks to witness the coming together of family members and those residents who are vaccinated – as the separation of the two has effectively dissolved.  The hugs, hand-holding and tears are illustrative of the very human need to be with those we love.

It is a renewal of an extraordinary kind.  We hope it is a transition from a dark and sometimes desolate season into one with the warmth of compassion, mended hearts and a routine in life blessed with the personal touch.

I want to thank our Focused Care family for being the light and the warmth to our residents when the pandemic and its spread required protective measures that for the time, prevented the in-person family visit experience.  You served not only as the communication conduit between family members and residents – you sat in the chair next to those you care for, held their hand and let them know even if their loved one could not be there – you were.  You gave promise to a future transition that would take us from one season to the next.

My hope is that spring stays with us – that it does not retreat – and that we can move forward through this season and into the next – never to return to the former. But cultivating a lasting spring requires care and diligence – an unexpected frost can set back progress.

Let’s stay smart and pragmatic and continue to cultivate an environment that gives life and renewal the best chance of lasting as long as possible.