We had degrees of freedom to come and go that seem unimaginable by today’s standards. To say that it was a simpler time and place than almost anywhere today is an enormous understatement. Our class is a reflection of its homogeneity. Calvin Trillin once joked that he had been raised in the Midwest to prize modesty-except like many jokes it turned out to be true, at least for the Class of 58.įor many of us-perhaps most of us-we came to be in Downers Grove in the 1950s because the dislocations of the Depression and the War brought our parents here from elsewhere.įinding ourselves in Downers Grove in the 1950s seems like a great fortuity in its own right. Those experiences created and attitudes that were transmitted to us, mostly implicitly. Joseph’s, but the fact that our parents lived through, and in one form or another participated in, both the Great Depression and World War II had to have significant ramifications, both personal and societal. I suspect that we didn’t fully appreciate it during our time at St. We also were the children of the Greatest Generation. That’s not to say that their, or our, wishes were fulfilled, but it is to say that we had a better opportunity than most. Rather, we had to find an answer to the question, “What do you want to do when you grow up”? Unlike our children’s generation, we didn’t have to worry about whether we would find employment as adults. It occurred at the beginning of two-plus decades of unprecedented national prosperity. It almost certainly was the best time to be born in the entire 20 th century. Our classmates, and each of us, had the magnificent judgment to be born when we were. So what can we usefully say about a group of this size? Tom has asked me to say a few words about our deceased and missing classmates, and by implication about all of us. PHIL VERVEER'S REFLECTION ON OUR DECEASED AND MISSING CLASSMATES Thank you for your service to our country.Ĭhief Executive Officer and President Seniorlink As Americans, we all owe you a debt of gratitude. Without that commitment, our very society would be in peril. You and 44 million of your fellow caregivers around the country are the foundation of our healthcare system, providing over $500 billion each year of uncompensated care. You will always trade things most precious to you in favor of those you love, who always seem to need more. You recently expressed your loneliness and I am concerned about what that implies.
You are becoming more isolated from friends and family.
Your fatigue has led to poor eating habits and weight loss. Increasingly, you compromise taking care of yourself, always putting others first. You prove that grace is not just a word but a state of being. You maintain a career despite spending as many hours each week managing family and coordinating care as you do at work. You reconcile and administer medicines, pay bills, act as health care proxy and power of attorney. You cook, clean, transport, and translate. You demonstrate compassion in the face of constant exhaustion. You ask for nothing in return for your efforts but your face lights up to small gestures of gratitude. It is clear that caregiving is in your soul, but it does not define you. We call you a family caregiver but this label doesn’t feel quite right-you say you are a mother, wife, sister and daughter first. She cries out to you in the middle of the night just as your children did so many years ago and you respond, as you did then, with patience and kindness. I was convinced that you could do no more and then you took your mom into your home. Your energy seems boundless your commitment is palpable. I don't know anything about this Seniorlink organization, but the message of its chief executive is spot-on so, I thought it should be shared as it is a timely message for us! The message appeared as a full-page ad in the Washington Post on November 1st, 2018. The best part of the two-hour gathering was that everyone seemed to have had a good time! Reportedly, there were many requests for another get-together (those familiar faces do look happy).Ĭommon discussions centered around questions like: What are you up to? How are the grandchildren? Any new adventures? What's happening on the health front, emotional and physical? Any trips in the offing? Are you working or retired? How are you coping with losses and stressors?Įveryone was delighted to be with our honorary classmate Jack Doyle again, too! At 50 degrees fahrenheit in February, the weather could only be described as terrific. Twelve of our classmates gathered together at the Wheatstack - A Midwestern Eatery & Tap in Lisle, Illinois on Saturday, 22 February 2020. Left to Right Back Row: Rita Mitchell Mathern, Karen Fritz Smit, Mary Graff Bozek, Judy Bradley Everson, and Jack Doyleįront Row:Charlene Tobin DeVitto, Kathy Finn Bruner, Ed Briner, Christine Jaloweic Ceranek, Mary Ellen Heelan, Janet Sienkowski Panos, and Camille Wosik
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