I interviewed a fifty-five year old female named Theresa Geis. She is married to Robert Geis and they have four daughters including me. They reside in Denver, Colorado with one daughter still in the house. Theresa graduated with a master’s degree in teaching with a focus in special education. She grew up in Greeley, CO but enjoys Denver and where she is currently at. Theresa and Robert have had the same house in Denver for twenty-one years now and have recently bought a cabin in Estes Park which is on the border of Rocky Mountain National Park. A typical day for my mom is her waking up at five forty five and going for an hour walk outside. After her walk she wakes up her youngest daughter Rebecca. She will make her breakfast for her and then will eat breakfast with Becca. After breakfast she will proceed to get ready for the day, do a few chores before the preschoolers come at eight. Once eight o’clock rolls around she will start teaching preschool till noon in her basement which has been converted into a classroom. From eleven to noon Theresa drives to the local coffee shop called the Prairie Peddler and gets an iced white chocolate Americano with a little skim milk. After her latte she will eat some lunch and then teach from noon till three. At three Becca has a game or practice which Theresa will go to or drop her off depending if it is a game or practice. After her game or practice Theresa will make dinner for her husband Robert and Becca. They will eat together, clean up, and chat about their days before retiring for the night. The event that stood out most to Theresa was the birth of her youngest daughter Becca. This was because she was ready to go back into the work force of teaching since her three other daughters were old enough to take care of themselves and each other. Her routine change because of Becca’s birth required her to be a full time mother again and she was preparing to be a working asset for the family. When asked if Theresa enjoyed or was satisfied with her present routine she was prompted in her response that she most defiantly was. She really enjoyed teaching and having a flexible schedule that allows her to spend quality time with her husband and her daughter.
Mrs. Nancy Hamilton (changed name for privacy) is 95 years old female who resides in a local continued care retirement community (CCRC) located in the Los Angeles County. I decided to interview Mrs. Hamilton for her successful aging. I have known her for 9 years and her aging process has not been an easy ride but she always maintained a positive sprit that kept her going even today. Mrs. Hamilton moved in to a CCRC in 2006, two years after her husband passed away. Mrs. Hamilton has one daughter and one son. Daughter Margaret lives nearby and visits frequently and takes care of personally needs such as transportation to medical appointments or shopping for skin care products or clothes as necessary. Son, David lives in the Northern California and visits a few times a year.
I can distinctly recall spending many early mornings with my mother as a very young child. Endlessly engraved in my memory is aroma of coffee and sprinting down the stairs to my basement to collect my mothers’ uniform from the dryer. And then with a kiss laid upon my forehead, she would drop my siblings and I off at my grandparents’ home to begin her ten, sometimes twelve hour shifts as an ultrasound technologist. Then just as I can vividly recount my mother’s morning routine, I still can picture the evenings I spent with my mother to the same caliber. Simply put, my mother is a wonderful cook. And thus, each evening she would prepare a different meal. And while the meals always varied, her superior cooking skills never faltered. Despite her hectic work schedule, never once did I witness my mother skip cooking dinner for myself, my four elder brothers, or my father.
Sally is amongst the most wonderful mothers I have ever known. She begins each morning – rain-or-shine, lively-or-sick – at three o’clock sharp, when the late night grasshopper chirps are mixed with those of the early birds’. Now, she doesn’t arrive at work until nine and only spend thirty minutes getting herself freshened-up, dressed, and fed. So where does all of her remaining time go? The short answer is: Sally is devoted to singlehandedly preparing her daughter for each day ahead. No lack of congratulations is welcomed for her nor the thousands of mothers who struggle with the same tasks of caring for their infants. Like other mothers, Sally wakes, bathes, dresses, feeds, and prepares a list of items that her daughter will need at the
The older adult interviewed for the purpose of this assignment was Alice Margaret Cox, the interviewers grandmother. Alice was born on February 17th, 1932 in Brown County, Minnesota. Alice was the daughter of Rose Veldman and had three brothers and three sisters. In 1942, Hikel Veldman, after marrying Rose, legally adopted Alice and her six siblings. He brought four children of his own, making a family of 13. After the family was adopted, the majority of their childhood to early adult life was spent living in Hollandale, Minnesota. Alice spent the majority of her life farming and now helps out part time at a family owned thrift store. Alice currently resides in Lake City Minnesota, in her home of twenty plus years. Only four of the eleven
Today I interviewed an elderly woman who is a resident in the County Nursing Home. As I entered her room, she was sitting up awake and alert. As we talked, I explained to her that as a nursing student, I'm required to complete a paper on any person over the age of sixty-five. I asked her if it would be okay to interview her. She enthusiastically agreed, therefore, I proceeded with the interview.
The greatest woman I’ve ever known always told me that education was important…and she was right. I came from a small town in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri prior to becoming a teenager. At the time, education was abundant in St. Ann, where I lived. I attended a decent elementary school and made good grades, despite mathematics not being my cup of tea. I have
Kaakinen, Gedaly-Duff, Coehlo & Hanson, (2010) report family is the biggest resource for managing care of individuals with chronic illness; family members are the main caregivers and provide necessary continuity of care. Therefore, it is important for health care providers to develop models of care based on an understanding what families are going through (Eggenberger, Meiers, Krumwiede, Bliesmer, & Earle, 2011). The family I chose to interview is in the middle of a transition in family dynamics. I used the family as a system approach as well as a structure-function theoretical framework to the effects of the changes in dynamic function. Additionally, the combinations of genogram, ecomap, adaptations of the Friedman Family Assessment model as well as Wright & Leahey’s 15 minute family interview were utilized.
God says to honor your mother, but sometimes I question that wisdom. I mean God has some good thoughts and did some really great things, but that doesn’t mean he is all knowing. Mom is great, I love her so much, but once in awhile she just does things that cause me to rip out my hair in disbelief. She has really great qualities from her bravery and intelligence to how loving she is. However, she has some not-so-great qualities, like her anxiety and lack of common sense to how obsessed she can be about things.
As the contractions began to grip my stomach, I realized that my life would forever be changed. Knowing the old me had to die in order for me to become a new me. After being abandon at the age of five, I grew up feeling lonely and unloved. I was filled with so much anger, malice, hurt and unforgiveness that I held against others. I didn’t have the luxury of living in a stable environment, because growing up I was always living from home to home. I had no intentions to strive for better, I had begun to allow my upbringing to be my excuse. Years of disappointment resulted in me caring less in others desire. I couldn’t love anyone because love was never shown to me, but
Education is not to teach men facts, theories or laws, not to reform or amuse them or make them expert technicians. It is to unsettle their minds, widen their horizons, inflame their intellect, teach them to think straight, if possible, but to think nevertheless. Robert Maynard Hutchins
“The children have been a wonderful gift to me, and I’m thankful to have once again seen our world through their eyes. They restore my faith in the family’s future” (Anderson, 176). Her children were her world; everything she did was for them. She tried her best to be the perfect mother.
Robyn Lewis is a single mother of two boys. Since their birth her life has revolved only around them and even with them grown up and in college she still takes a great interest in them. Lewis serves as a “secretary mom” for her sons, organizing their lives, proofreading papers and doing their laundry. Her sons, both say that they are grateful for their mother’s efforts and Lewis takes great pride in being able to help them balance their lives.
Many people, as well as myself, believe that a mother’s influence is one of the most important influences that one will ever come in contact with in their lives. A mother’s love, comfort, and support will often help to shape a child and allow them to become the person they need to be later on in life. My mother has had a great influence on my life from day one. I often refer to her as my “rock” because she is definitely a solid foundation in my life. Being that she is a great role model, my mother’s support and presence in my life has allowed me to grow as a person, keep my spirits high through hell and high water, prosper in all that I have done, as well as mold me to be a great person in the future.
While in school, Mom didn’t have it easy. Not only did she raise a daughter and take care of a husband, she had to deal with numerous setbacks. These included such things as my father suffering a heart attack and going on to have a triple by-pass, she herself went through an emergency surgery, which sat her a semester behind, and her father also suffered a heart attack. Mom not only dealt with these setbacks, but she had the everyday task of things like cooking dinner, cleaning the house and raising a family. I don’t know how she managed it all, but somehow she did.
A typical Sunday morning at my house is a little less sleep and a lot more work. It 's early when my eyes open. The first thing she tells me is, “Mija, I want you to go to the kitchen as soon as you get your clothes on.” Not even a “Good Morning.” The market’s over at the Redlands and there 's a lot of traffic at that time. It usually takes me a bit to get up. There 's a whole routine to it; she 'd yell at me so I 'm up, make me take a shower, and have me go feed and take out the dogs. I don 't even know why we have five, our house barely fits two. Nonetheless, I love them all.