November 25, 2025
Gratitude
By Cyndi Koenes
Regional Marketing & Sales Director
Park Vista – North Hill
Park Vista – Camanche
November is a month that we get to take time and “celebrate what is important to us.
We celebrate our Veterans with Veteran’s Day meals and discounts. This is such an important day to remember and celebrate those who have served our country. It is also an important day to visit our Veterans who are in senior living communities or nursing homes and acknowledge
their sacrifices. Some like to share their experiences, and some do not, but everyone enjoys a visit from friends and loved ones.
We also celebrate Thanksgiving, which I count as the official kick off to the holiday season. It is a time to reflect on what we are grateful for and the relationships we treasure. Of course, we enjoy the big turkey dinner with all the special fixings and recipes we love. Those recipes and times shared together can evoke memories from past holidays shared. It is so important to include our senior loved ones in these get togethers and to take the time to encourage the sharing of past memories. This is a good way to share intergenerational experiences and enjoy hearing about past family history. If your senior cannot make it home for the family gathering, be sure to go to them and take them a Thanksgiving plate to enjoy. Most senior living communities and nursing homes have rooms that can be reserved in advance if you want to have a celebration in their community. Let’s not forget Thanksgiving Day football! This is another good intergenerational activity and bonding opportunity. A good rivalry between teams is always a fun time.
There are many more special “days” & “weeks” to celebrate in November. For instance, there is Gingerbread Cookie Day, Apple Cider Day and even Cranberry Relish Day. We honor teachers and our educational system with National Education Week, and we celebrate National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week. There is always something to celebrate and look forward to. These celebrations offer more opportunities to ask questions and have meaningful conversations with our seniors. I always say our seniors are living history books and it is such an honor to hear their stories and imagine how life was when they were younger. They were our doctors, nurses, lawyers, educators and laborers. We can learn a lot about the future by studying the past and there is no better way to achieve that than a nice visit with a senior on a crisp November day with open minds and hearts full of gratitude.
Cyndi Koenes is Regional Marketing & Sales Director at Park Vista Retirement Living in East Moline, Illinois and Camanche, Iowa. For more information, please go to www.parkvistaliving.org or contact Cyndi Koenes at 309-236-0875 or by email at Cyndi.Koenes@parkvistaliving.org.
