Valentines Day Party Pt. 2!

Sunday, February 16th 2025

By: Charlotte Hendrey

Today, I brought the second half of the cookies that I baked to the residents at Greenwood Assisted Living for another Valentines Day Party! The residents were overjoyed to see me, and all eagerly gathered around the table to decorate cookies. Susan (right) and Natalie (left) both decorated cute owl crafts that I brought, and the stickers were a hit!

I met a new resident today, she was sweet and talkative. Her and Jackie decorated matching cookies and owls together while I talked to Susan and Natalie. While decorating her cookie, Susan said to me "We should make this a trend! As you get older, you should have more fun like when you were younger." It made me so happy to hear her say that, because that is what Hearts and Hands is all about. Susan was very attached to the owl she was decorating. I asked her to name it, and she gave it the name "Eleanor".

As Susan was decorating Eleanor, she seemed to be communicating through her art. She said "Eleanor is tired of sharing with her siblings, so she is an only child.", and when I asked Susan if Eleanor wanted a flower sticker, she said "No, because then Eleanor will have to share." I wondered if maybe Susan was projecting how she used to feel as a child. To her, this was not just a piece of paper with stickers on it, but her younger self. I watched Susan empathize with Eleanor the owl, and together we talked about how Eleanor should become friends with the owl that Natalie was decorating, which made Susan feel better. In the end, Susan decided to put the flower bouquet sticker on Eleanor the owl, which to me showed a step forward in healing any sadness or jealousy from her past.

The ladies were sad to see me go, but I assured them that I would be back next weekend!

Happy Valentines Day!!