50+ Lifestyles

Mom and Sam I Am

By Mary Huebbe
Marketing Director
Ridgecrest Village

A few months ago I saw the front cover of a magazine, and it brought back so many memories. It was “The Cat in The Hat”; all I could do was smile at the memory of my Mom reading these stories to me, as well as me reading them to my children. Today my Mom reminds me of a story from that series of books.

Do you remember the story “Green Eggs and Ham”?  Maybe you remember it as “Sam I am.”  My Mom is very set in her way, just like Joey was when Sam was trying to get him to try his green eggs and ham.  No matter what way Sam tried to get Joey to try them he just wouldn’t, and continued saying he didn’t like them.

I have invited my Mom to come to my work, or to read the different information about my facility, but she instantly throws the information away and refuses to even visit.  I have offered to look into Senior Communities in her own area, and again I get nothing but refusals.   

My Mom refuses to believe that Senior Communities are good. She only knows about nursing homes from when she was a child visiting her grandparents. She believes it would be better for her and my Dad to live in their own home until they pass away. She has made plans to have in home care if the time comes that they need it. Just like the ‘Green Eggs and Ham’, if it doesn’t look good, it can’t be good.   

She lives in a big farm house that she struggles to keep up with. My dad still mows the lawn and takes care of the
outside; she has even said to me and my siblings that she fears one day he just won’t come back in and they will find him out in the yard or barn injured, or worse. Yet she can’t see that there is a better way of life; A way to have your freedom to do the things you enjoy without having the stress of taking care of a home when  your body doesn’t feel up to it.

I do the marketing for Ridgecrest Village Senior Community, so I am blessed to see how people thrive here.  Instead of having to worry about taking care of the house and yard, they are able to plan events and do things.  I watch as my residents continue to enjoy life. I visit with their families and they tell me what a relief it is to know their parents are taken care of when they can’t be there. They are lucky, their parent or parents have tasted the green eggs and ham and found out they like them.

If you’ve been avoiding the green eggs and ham, maybe you could give us a try and come for lunch to see what we are all about. We will be having a Luau on May 19th that would give you an opportunity to visit with our residents and see what their lifestyle is like.  Give us a call and let us know how we could help you and your family. By the way, we don’t serve green eggs and ham.

Mary Huebbe is the marketing director for Ridgecrest Village in Davenport, Iowa. For more information about Ridgecrest Village, contact Mary at (563) 391-3430 or mhuebbe@RidgecrestVillage.org.