I found a picture a number of years ago of the day my dad loaded me up to take me off to college at the University of Wisconsin. At the time, I remember experiencing a variety of emotions…excitement, nervousness, anticipated homesickness, apprehension etc.

I experienced all of those emotions and more in my early college years. Unlike most freshmen starting school, I was unable to get into the dorms at Wisconsin and had to find an apartment off campus. That alone created a lot of angst!

My roommates in that arrangement were both named Jim…one was 5’4” and had two full time jobs (little Jim). The other roommate was unemployed and stood 6’5” tall and weighed 260 lbs (Big Fives). Big Fives was an ex-prison guard at the Waupun Correctional Facility in Wisconsin. To boot, the apartment was above the most famous liquor store in all of Madison…. A place called Badger Liquor! It is still is open to this day!

As we age, we gain the wisdom to recognize the importance of life’s moments. When young, we feel invincible and (often) fail to savor the moments that make up a life.

Back to the point of this BLOG entry. What I failed to understand at the time of that picture with my dad was the picture’s importance to him. Taking your kids to college is a sentinel moment…one that fills a parent with emotions as well. I did not fully understand that until I took my own son off to college four years ago!

I now have dropped two kids off at college. Both were days filled with emotions…knowing your child is anxious and excited…knowing that things will be forever changed now that they have left the “nest.”

I am not a particularly wise man, but I have had the wisdom to restage similar pictures with both of my children when I took them to college. I cherish both my kids and those pictures more than I can express.

 

I am thankful to my dad for having the wisdom to stage that picture. It now serves as a reminder to savor moments in life. I hope this inspires you to contemplate “moments” and, as you get older (and wiser), enjoy those moments more than ever.

Happy Father’s Day!

Adam

To some Halloween is all about candy and tricks…too others goblins and scares…to others a celebration of falling leaves and scary movies. Whatever your thing is, happy Halloween!

Adam

Hello friends:

Many of you know that Caring Companions is active in the Parkinson’s (PD) community both from a volunteer perspective and in caring for families. Much of our dialogue with families revolves around falls and that it is not if they happen, but when. So, we wanted to share some information from the American Parkinson’s Disease Association on falls and PD:

https://www.apdaparkinson.org/article/impaired-balance-falls-and-parkinsons-disease/

Be safe out there and, as always, feel free to reach out to us should you have any questions about PD or care specific to those living with the disease.

 

Caring Companions is Growing!

Anyone that knows Caring Companions knows that we are in a relentless pursuit of delivering quality care to the families we serve. Because of that, we are very picky in deciding how and when we grow our team. Hiring decisions need to reflect that pursuit!

Every once in a while, an opportunity presents itself. This is one of those times. We believe the newest addition to our team aligns exceptionally well with our vision. We are happy to announce that, starting August 14, 2024, Paige Vohs will be joining our team as Director of Strategic Growth and Family Services. Paige’s passion for helping families and her presence in the geriatric community will be pivotal to our continued success.

Paige brings a wealth of experience and many of you know her as the face of NaborForce here in Atlanta. That experience will pay off in spades as she helps us grow our business and deliver superior customer and caregiver experiences.

We hope you will do us the favor of welcoming Paige to the team!

As always, the biggest compliment we could ever receive is giving us the opportunity to impress a new family in need!

Adam and the team at Caring Companions of Atlanta.