Page 69 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2024 - Online Magazine
P. 69
HONORING SENIORS
Legendary!
Written by Jill Rinehart, LPC-A (Bereavement counselor with Hope from Ashes Counseling)
Supervised by Shelly Thompson, LPC, Med, LPC-S, CFRC
hat does it mean to be legendary? to my mom and my dad the days and weeks Inspiration
Do you have to make it into a Hall after her surgery. He fought for her, but he
Wof Fame or a history book? Does also sat with us and helped us make the hard
your name appear on everyone’s social media decisions, before ultimately mourning with
feed or the nightly news? Does your fame us.
have to reach the masses, limiting those who
reach legendary status to only a select few? I could go on to name other friends, family
members, and acquaintances who have
Personally, those I would label as legendary moved across the country or even the world
will not appear on the nightly news, and you to care for people who are hurting in one way
won’t be able to follow them on Instagram, or another, who work hard to provide and
but ask the right people, and they will nod still take the time to make sure their loved
their heads in agreement and whisper: ones feel seen and heard, who volunteer
“Legendary!” their time and sometimes even their desires
to feed the hungry in both body and soul.
Take my friend, Denise, whose family has These unsung heroes will never find their
opened their home to a total of ten foster name in a Hall of Fame or a history book, but
children over the years. She fights for each all the same, to those they pour into, they are
child’s health and for each child’s safety and legendary.
envelopes each in love so that deep wounds
might heal. Her ability to let each child Who are the legendary people in your life?
know how special and how loved they are is Is it a teacher who never gave up on you? Is
legendary. it someone at church who saw in you what
you couldn’t see in yourself? Is it a family
Or another friend, Julie, who teaches math to member who sacrificed time and maybe
middle schoolers. She challenges them to go even dreams to help you reach your goals?
beyond what they think they can do while Whoever they may be, let them know that
at the same time speaking their language they are legendary. Give them that Hall of
– “That’s bussin’!” But what makes her Fame speech that they deserve.
legendary to young people in her life is the
way she gives them individual attention. She And while you are at it, look for ways to
truly sees them and speaks into their hearts be legendary yourself. You don’t have to
when they otherwise feel overlooked. reach hundreds or even dozens of people to
be legendary. All you must do is make one
Or there is Dr. Shakespeare, who performs person feel seen, feel heard, feel loved.
surgery on countless patients, including my
mother, but what makes him legendary to And I guarantee, to that person, you will be
my family (and no doubt countless other legendary.
families), is the individual attention he gave
Lubbock Senior Link 69
