So if I learned one thing during this past year dealing with the changes due to Covid 19, is how important socializing is to our mental and physical and spiritual health. I feel it is more important than any medication ever invented. I am fortunate to see the magic of it every day here at the Royal Inn with our residents.

So many of our elderly in care situations and facilities were affected by being shut out of visitation with family and friends. Its almost unimaginable that we did this to our elderly population. Compounding this isolation is the fact that many suffer from dementia, Alzheimer, and memory loss, and don’t often remember that they had visitors anyway. A masked person talking through a door or window is even worse. Zoom and Skype calls were confusing at best and horrible for the family too.

Not being able to touch, hold, hug, kiss, our elderly loved ones greatly affected us all. We are built for love, to give it and to receive it. Love gives value to everything we do.

For those who were shut out from seeing, your Mom, Dad, Siblings, or friend, and may have lost a loved one during this time, I’m really sorry. My hope is that we will never again be ordered to not socialize,to not talk, laugh, sing, pray, and do all the other things that make us who we are. The price we paid this time was far too steep.

Al