“Life is a balance between holding on and letting go”....Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet.
Through the generosity of Russell Pickering, our doors opened and we welcomed our first resident on January 3, 1963. How exciting that must have been to open a brand new healthcare facility for seniors in a residential neighborhood took mighty courage mixed with incredible commitment.
On September 29, 2020, we moved our first residents into the ‘Yates Pavilion’. The next era in our history officially began as we opened our new Rehab and Personal Care Neighborhoods. This transition has been an exciting adventure and I’m constantly reminded of the trials of ‘holding on’ and ‘letting go’.
I came to Pickering Manor almost 24 years ago as the first Social Services Director having just relocated to the area. This small, non-profit senior living facility was filled with so many amazing people who cared for it’s residents. They, and those before them built the foundation of who we now continue to be. The careful and thoughtful leadership of the Community Welfare Council of Newtown and their members ensured that Pickering Manor would sustain itself through very difficult times....and we have, and we will continue that mission.
We are now moving into the next phase of our project which is the renovation of the ‘Pickering Pavilion’. This will be done in two phases and when complete, all resident areas will have been upgraded and improved.
Before we officially handed the area over to the contractors to begin internal demolition, I knew I needed to ‘walk the hall’ one last time. It was quiet; all furniture and personal belongings had been removed. But as I leaned against he walls in that hallway, memories flooded through me of all those that had lived and that we had loved in those rooms. I saw faces of residents and their families. I remembered how we had laughed with them...and cried with them. Their images filed past me and I am grateful for those moments where reverence was paid to our past and those who created it. I was reminded of a lyric in one of my favorite songs performed by RUNA, a Celtic music group who, with their family grace our community and Pickering Manor in so many ways. It says, “I don’t want to be alone, Mourning the ones who came before, I want to dance with them some more”.....and so, to all ‘who came before’, I shall dance with you this beautiful October day and remember how you filled us with your presence long after you were gone!
Happy October, everyone....Stay well, wear your mask and wash your hands!
Michelle
Michelle Knobloch
Chief Executive Officer
