Blessings from Miles Away

It is amazing how someone can touch others from so far away.

For more than two years, Susan has been Zooming into the Shabbat Morning service held every Saturday morning at 9:30am at Handmaker. Susan lives in Atlanta. How did this happen, you might ask? The Handmaker services are led by Susan’s cousin, Mel Cohen, and Dan Asia.

While the service is usually held in person from the Handmaker Great Room, like many organizations, during COVID we had to resort to services on Zoom when that was the only option. Thankfully, the service is usually in person now, but we continue to set it up so that people like Susan can “Zoom in” from afar, as well as for those residents who can’t or prefer not to come to the Great Room for the service in person. It is also wonderful to have this option for when our service leaders cannot be in the Great Room due to vacation, or for other reasons.

Over these last few years, Handmaker residents who participate in the service have gotten to know Susan virtually, and she has gotten to know them. Hearing “Shabbat Shalom” each Saturday morning in her warm and welcoming southern drawl makes everyone smile. The iPads get set up for the residents who are zooming in about 15-30 minutes before the service even begins, so that Susan has time to schmooze with each and every one of them.

Recently she shared some beautiful words about a resident who had passed away:

“We chatted each Saturday morning, ten to fifteen minutes before Shabbat services started on zoom. Alert, bright, caring Marcie asked ‘How are you?’  We did show-and-tell with the books she was reading that moment.  She shared her drawings. And as a true artist, she drew every day. I shared my week activities, my weather, my friends and family news. We shared a caring, deep, and loving friendship via modern technology.  Once strangers on a screen, we looked forward to our ten minutes each Shabbat morning.”

About a year ago, Susan began helping a friend go through her mom’s home and storage areas after she had passed away. There they found a treasure trove of tchotchkes, many still in their original packages. Susan and her friend wondered what in the world they would do with it all. Susan sent a box of items to her friends at Handmaker filled with solar powered hula figures, scarves, change purses, books and more. There were so many fun items that the Activity Department decided to use them as bingo prizes. They were a huge hit! Since that first box, Susan has sent several more. And Frieda, one of our Rich Neighborhood residents, became a collector of the solar powered hula figures. (see the photo) Once she started collecting, she would regularly ask when they were going to get some more when they ran out.

This week, Susan came to Tucson for the first time in two years. She came to visit her cousin Mel and his family, to join the Shabbat morning service in person, and to visit her friends at Handmaker. She was thrilled to get to meet Frieda and see her collection. Frieda thanked Susan for all the great bingo prizes, and told her that she is starting to give away some of her collection to make room for her new interest….elephants. Susan assured Frieda that when she gets back to Atlanta, she will look for some elephants to send to her.  

So grateful that technology has brought this wonderful woman into the lives of our residents, and so happy to get to give her a hug in person!