Good Morning! I start out this morning saying, “You are Winning.” Don’t forget. You have outlived your friends, your classmates, some of your family, and right possibly a spouse. You are still here and there’s a good reason for it. You have work to do. You are needed.

Your mere presence is needed for your family, for your community, for your destiny. Put your head up, shoulders back and look ahead to today as a day that has already been laid out for you. There is hidden treasure in today for you. Keep your eyes open. You’ll see it. A smile from your grandchild, an encouraging word from your son, or a bird singing to you and looking to you for some of those great treats you provide every day. There is hidden treasure in today. Keep your eyes open!

Now, for another subject. Yikes. Let’s talk about Coronavirus for a second or two. Sometimes I think we forget how the CDC has asked the health departments to report Covid-19 cases.

When you read the newspaper or reports about how many positive cases, this is how they come up with the numbers you see and hear about. To put this in very simple terms, there are 5 ways (as of last month when I asked the health dept. directly to confirm). You can look this up at the following website

https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nndss/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/case-definition/2020/

One: A person tests positive with the swab up the nose. Two: A person has a pending test using the swab up the nose (all pendings reported positive due to the fact there had to be a reason, i.e. symptoms or exposure, they were tested in the first place). Three: A person tests negative but they had a cough, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing. Four: A person tests negative but they were determined exposed in an interview with a contact tracing personnel. Five: A person has been diagnosed with Pneumonia, or Acute Respiratory Distress.

It’s important to know how cases are being reported. Why? It’s affecting everything around you. Especially you older folks. If you are in a nursing home or assisted living, you are not allowed to touch your family and that’s been going on for 7 months now. Your life as a senior has changed dramatically. You need to understand the reporting that is driving rules so that you can think clearly and be the example your family has always looked to for counsel and advice.

You may say, “Oh, Carol, nobody looks to me for direction anymore.” Don’t be too quick to make that assumption. You are important. They may not say it or even indicate it at all, but you are making a difference in how your family thinks and behaves during rough times and happy times. They are watching you. Trust me. I see it every single day. I hear it every single day.

I know what your family is saying when you’re not listening, when you’re not around to hear it. They may put on a good show in front of you but let me tell you…they are watching and listening. They will be just like you as they age. They will remember. They will think of you fondly.

No matter what has happened in the past, they will remember you fondly. Your memory will bring tears to their eyes. They love you very much. I’m with 90-year-olds who remember their mother and father. It is always with love and tenderness. The very first thing they remember is how much they loved their parents.

Don’t forget. You are important and your family loves you. Believe in your heart and say it out loud - “I am so loved!” What does the Bible tell us? “Let the weak say they are strong.” Stop saying anything other than you are loved! And, while you’re at it, say you are strong too. I Love you all and God Bless You today as you go find hidden treasures!

Carol Riggenbach has more than 25 years of administrative experience operating a skilled nursing facility, assisted living and home health. She is currently senior executive director for The Bridge at Alamosa, a 70-apartment assisted living facility that opened in 2007.