The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Local seniors reflect on what they’re thankful for
As Thanksgiving approaches, I thought I’d ask residents of Kyffin Grove, an assisted living community in North Wales, what they were thankful for. As you might imagine, the first response of many of the residents was “my family.” But, further conversation often revealed touching — sometimes funny, sometimes melancholy — memories of growing up.
Take Madelena Dellaratta. She said she was thankful for her two children — a daughter who lives in Lansdale and a son living in New Jersey. Madelena was happy to tell me that she celebrated her 80th birthday in September by showing her children where she was born — in Sicily. They loved the visit; it was the first time they had seen their mother’s hometown. Her father, who had lived in the United States, moved to Sicily when his first wife died, and he married Madelena’s mother.
Madelena spoke lovingly of her husband, who passed away in 2011. He was the ninth of 10 children. His mother died when he was two, and he grew up in an orphanage before moving to a foster home — a “wonderful foster home,” Madelena says. What kind of husband was he? “He was the best person in the world.”
Robert Rhoads, 87, referenced his family, too. As the last living member of his family, Robert said, “I’m thankful to be alive.” His four siblings have all passed on, but he has fond memories of growing up. Robert and his siblings grew up during The Great Depression, and “we had a rough life. But, it was a good family. Growing up, there was never a dull moment. We made our own fun.”
Robert was thankful, too, that he and his four siblings all served in the military — and all returned home from their service. “We all went in, we all came back — from the Battle of the Bulge to my grandson serving in the war in Iraq.”
Judy Wallach, 81, was eager to talk with me. And, once we started to talk, it was apparent she was thankful for a lot of things.
“I’m thankful for living here,” she said. “The people who work here are wonderful. The people who live here are wonderful. I love to watch movies and play games. Entertainers visit us — usually singers — and sometimes we sing along; you know, like karaoke. We dance, too. It’s like a palace here.”
One of Judy’s friends walked by as we talked. “Hi, hi! How are you?” she said with a big smile.
Judy has a son and a daughter and three grandchildren — 5, 8 and 10 — who live nearby, and she enjoys seeing them frequently. Judy had a stroke a while ago, but she’s thankful for her health, too. She’s been able to recover much of her independence. “And, I’m happy there are people here to help me. The food’s good, too.”