In April, I celebrated my 30-year anniversary of employment at RosePointe Senior Living. During my early years as Resident Services Director, the independent living seniors that I served filled a role as grandparents in my life. Into the next decade, as I grew older, our residents were surrogate aunts and uncles. Now I have reached the status of “older adult”, and find myself alongside our younger residents as a peer. Throughout the three decades, our residents have served as mentors, teachers, and role models. My career has rewarded me with many valuable lessons about living life.
Perhaps the most important lesson for 2020 is this: Gratitude equals Happiness. Our resident, Annemarie, recently shared these wonderful words of wisdom with me. Those who know her have experienced the sense of joy that she shares every day. There is always a smile and positive words. Her life is an example of how to live a life of gratitude.
Annemarie’s Life & Story in Her Own Words
Annemarie tells the story of her early years in her autobiography, “Nobody Waiting: A German Girl’s WWII Story”. In her words, “I was born and raised in Germany. I lived in Eastern Germany near the Polish border. During WWII when Russia invaded Germany my mother and I had to flee from our home. It was a cold day in January 1945. My dad was stationed in Poland and at that time we did not know his whereabouts. At the railroad station, we were loaded into a cattle train. We sat on the floor with our legs pulled in to fit as many people as possible into the wagon. Occasionally the bar at the door was lifted and an aluminum cup with watery soup was handed to us.” After moving further and further away from home, they were forced to live as refugees, as unwanted intruders in a series of private homes. After the war, her family was reunited in Hannover. There she met her husband. In 1952 they were granted permission to immigrate to the US. They left their young son with grandparents and traveled by freighter for 11 days across the rocky ocean to New York City harbor. Finding education and employment in Minnesota, they saved enough money in two years to buy a house and bring their son here to live with them.
Many would view her war experience as unbearable. Annemarie views it with gratitude. They were happy to be alive and grateful to those who took them in. Forced to leave all their belongings behind, they were thankful to obtain the basics of food, clothing, and shelter. The war and the circumstances that followed are the reason that she came to America. Receiving her citizenship is one of her proudest and happiest memories. Years later, her appreciation of living in the Land of Liberty prompted her to write her wartime memories and publish her book in 2018.
Throughout her 91+ years, Annemarie experienced challenges, hardships, and loss; a divorce, the death of a child, and cancer, yet she says she has “nothing but gratitude”. She is grateful for every day she has been given and she has made the most of it: traveling the world with her family, embracing adventures like parasailing, kayaking, and her favorite, riding on the back of her son’s motorcycle! Nothing keeps her down. During a stay in rehab last year, recovering from three fractures, she didn’t complain but instead expressed her appreciation for the wonderful help and care. She once told her doctor, “my mind tells my body to feel well”. What is her secret to living in this continued state of gratitude?
There is always something to be thankful for.
Start each day with something to look forward to a cup of coffee, plan what to eat and what to do, phone calls with my kids.
Spend time outdoors every day. Enjoy fresh air and nature.
When you begin to feel down, remember the good things.
Research shows that an “attitude of gratitude” works to make you happier. It contributes to other health benefits, including lower blood pressure, strengthened immune system, improved quality of sleep, and reduced risk of depression and anxiety. Gratitude helps people cope with stress and trauma. Annamarie knows this to be true: a heart of gratitude can make you happy even in the midst of obstacles and pain.
RosePointe Is Grateful for Annemarie & All Our Residents
As we ended our recent conversation, Annemarie expressed her heartfelt gratitude for her home at RosePointe, our staff, and the services we provide. I learned another lesson. Gratitude is meant to be shared and in turn, it makes others happy too. Thank you, Anne. We are GRATEFUL for YOU!
Annemarie Preussner Korpi’s book is available for purchase on Amazon.