Bryan Reynolds [00:00:04] Hello, hello, hello, welcome to Episode 16 of The Linkage Podcast by Episcopal Retirement Services. This episode is for the week of August 24th, 2020. Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Bryan Reynolds, Vice President of Marketing of Episcopal Retirement Services. And I'm here with my trusty friend Kristin Davenport ERS director of communications. How are you Kristin?

 

Kristin Davenport [00:00:27] Bryan, I am doing well. It is good to talk with you today. I can't believe we're on episode 16. That's awesome. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:00:34] I know. I was just thinking that as I was saying that that's a great feat. We've been doing this since, I guess, mid to late April. And it's been so fun to interview residents week in, week out and of course, get our updates from Laura. 

 

Kristin Davenport [00:00:50] Absolutely. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:00:52] Well, Kristin, you want to start out and tell us what's coming up on our show today? 

 

Kristin Davenport [00:00:57] Yeah, you bet. We've got three wonderful guests with us today. Two residents. One is Linda Callard. Linda is a resident of Deupree House in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Cincinnati. We also have with us 103-year-old Lou Zelle, who was a Presbyterian minister, and he lives at Episcopal Church Home down in Louisville, Kentucky. And of course, we'll be checking in with our president and CEO Laura Lamb. Laura's got some updates for us this week about all things ERS. So looking forward to a great show, Bryan. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:01:31] Yeah. Yeah. It's a great, great show. Has some great interviews to share. So I'd be remiss if I didn't give a plug for our virtual Gala this year. Obviously with Covid, as we probably mentioned in previous weeks, we're taking our annual in-person Gala and making it virtual. Wogether, We Rise Gala, and it will be held on Friday, October 9th. And we've got a special evening full of celebration, inspiration and some entertainment, all in the effort to support our Good Samaritan Mission Fund. We'll have a special live program created just for our guests, and it'll be hosted by Channel 5's very own Courtis Fuller. So special thanks to our presenting sponsors, The Model Group, Ridgestone Contractors & Builders, Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing and U.S. Bank. So looking forward to that, Kristin

 

Kristin Davenport [00:02:29] Bryan, we're all looking forward to that. That time to be together in October to focus on our mission, the Good Samaritan Mission Fund, and should be a great evening. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:02:40] Well, great. Yeah. Looking forward to it again. And Kristin, so why don't we get started with the show? You want to introduce our first guest? 

 

Kristin Davenport [00:02:48] Absolutely. So joining us now is Linda Callard, new resident of Deupree House. Let's meet Linda. 

 

Kristin Davenport [00:03:04] Well, welcome, Linda. I'm so happy to have you on the podcast. How are you today? 

 

Linda Callard [00:03:10] Thank you yery much. I am fine today. As a matter of fact, I'm just in a very good mood and. Well, you know, I am in a good mood? 

 

Kristin Davenport [00:03:21] Yes. 

 

Linda Callard [00:03:21] Most of the time I am because I truly feel safe and secure here. And also, I think there is there is an outstanding staff at Deupree. I have not had one incident with a staff member that I had a negative feeling. 

 

Kristin Davenport [00:03:44] Oh, I never get tired of hearing that. 

 

Linda Callard [00:03:48] But I really I give them a lot of credit. I think it's good training. I think they have excellent people for their particular positions. And I particularly note the dietary department. I think they have done an excellent service for us with three meals a day. Well, not three, actually two. They do send twice a week. Our breakfast food we order. And then they have the option of lunch and dinner. And then they deliver it, always with a smile on the face, and very helpful if you need help to carry your dinner into your kitchen. So I congratulate them. 

 

Kristin Davenport [00:04:34] That this is so good. Every time I hear a compliment of our staff from a resident, it it makes me feel good. It's nothing directly about me, but it is about my teammates. And I love my team. I miss seeing them. And it's it's so good to hear from the residents that things are still being done the way that we expect with, you know, always a smile and a helpful nature. That is so good to hear. 

 

Linda Callard [00:05:12] Oh, I just want to say, I have noticed that the few times I have called the office, the office person always responds. And if it's asking a question, you get an answer. It seems that the person needs to find the answer. They find the answer; return your telephone call. Or if you need help, he or she takes care of it and calls maintenance. That office staff, you know, the people who sit in the lobby, always respond to every person's request. 

 

Kristin Davenport [00:05:50] It can be positive or it can be negative. However, there is an answer. 

 

Kristin Davenport [00:05:56] Yes. Well, and that is such a good thing to hear also, because these are sort of uncertain times. And just knowing that there's going to be somebody there and responding, you know, like you said, either way, it is it's comforting to hear that for sure. 

 

Linda Callard [00:06:14] It's a reassurance. Because we're in our apartment and we do not do a lot of socializing and we spend most of our time in apartments or participate in a program. But it's reassuring that outside your doors there is someone if you need someone. 

 

Kristin Davenport [00:06:33] That is that is so good to hear. And tell us a little bit about what are you doing these days to stay active and engaged. Either things that you're doing by yourself in your apartment, or maybe some of the activities that they've started doing that they've made a distanced, or a safe way to to do those. 

 

Linda Callard [00:06:55] I have not participated in many programs because when I came here, I was still recovering from a major fall that I had last August, and actually I know Marjorie P. Lee very well. I was there for nine weeks and then I had the fall in August, early August, and I returned home October the 15th. And so, I still I was in therapy when I came here. I did two sessions and I'm very careful about walking out. And so I can't say I have participated in a lot of activities. I certainly have enjoyed meeting the people here. It's the diversity of their of their careers and their lives. And places they have lived just absolutely just charms me because every person I've met has a has a different story and I'm so glad of that. And so I am primarily meeting people, socializing with a few people. And I do keep in touch with my husband three or four times a day on the telephone. I certainly stay in touch with my family that we have five children. And so somehow I just appear to be pretty busy as much as I can. 

 

Kristin Davenport [00:08:31] That sounds great. Yeah. 

 

Linda Callard [00:08:32] And did crossword puzzles. I watch certain television programs. Not many. I'm more prone to watch sports or the news than I am any other program. 

 

Kristin Davenport [00:08:46] Well, you mentioned Marjorie P. Lee. And before you had to stay there, you were a volunteer there, is that right? 

 

Linda Callard [00:08:55] Oh, yes. For years, I can't give you an exact date. They had, and they still have a volunteer organization. And participated in it for many years and worked in a corner store once or twice. Well, maybe maybe once a week. Sometimes it was twice a week. However, I had to discontinue because of because of George's entrance to Beachwood and also my fall. And now in the quarantine has changed the operation for the corner store. 

 

Linda Callard [00:09:40] But, oh, yes, I'm very, very fond of Deupree and Marjorie P. Lee. I feel I know the physical part very well. 

 

Kristin Davenport [00:09:50] Now, you and I got to talk a little bit before this podcast. Did you also tell me, were you a board member at some point with ERS. 

 

Linda Callard [00:09:59] For a short period of time I was a board member and I discovered that I did that this was not the right place for me, though. I certainly supported the ERS. But it was not a good match. And so I resigned and and still have good feelings for ERS. Is it just that the match didn't it didn't work. And that's quite common on boards. You get many people get on board and in realize, you know, it's that if it's not meeting my needs and I'm not meeting their needs. I always thought the best thing you could do is just resign and give the right person an opportunity. Yes, I was. 

 

Kristin Davenport [00:10:43] Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, Linda, tell us a little bit about maybe what are some of the things that you're looking forward to as as this pandemic hopefully comes to a close before too long. No one can predict the future, and our expectations are really determined by, you know, the news of the day. But what are some of the things you're looking forward to once this is all behind us? 

 

Linda Callard [00:11:08] Well, I'll tell you, honestly, it's been with family. We have two young people who live here, married and have children, and then three are out of town. We have and we have 10 grandchildren. And spending time with the family and particularly spending time with George. I miss that the most. When he was at beachwood I was there every day and I miss it. And I know he misses it too. And then, of course, there's some organizations that I belong. I would like it like if I could physically participate. And of course, there's always friendships and opportunities. And I love to play bridge, so I would stay very busy. So when the quarantine ends, but I think at my age now, it's probably going to be equal half time here and half time outside activities and family. 

 

Kristin Davenport [00:12:12] Yes. Yes. Well, those all sound like wonderful things. Bridge is something that has always intrigued me. I've noticed, we have quite some active bridge players there and Deupree House clubroom. It's quite a mystery to me how that game is played. But maybe once I'm retired, I'll take it up. 

 

Linda Callard [00:12:32] I suggest you do, because it does keep your brain operating. Each delt hand makes you think. And so it truly is a good activity upon your retirement. I would suggest you take a few lessons and you start playing bridge. And you will really enjoy it. 

 

Kristin Davenport [00:13:00] Well, thank you for that encouragement, Linda. I do appreciate it. Well, you know, it's been such a pleasure to talk with you today. I know you're gonna have an exciting day and please enjoy it. And and we will talk again very soon. 

 

Linda Callard [00:13:14] Thank you very much Kristin. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:13:24] Wonderful interview. That was so great to hear from Linda. It's interesting to get a perspective from, while she's been involved in the organization for quite a while, she's a fairly new resident. 

 

Kristin Davenport [00:13:38] Right. Yeah. That is so good to hear that the the staff is is supportive and viewed so highly from somebody that's kind of brand new to living with us, but not brand new to the organization. All right. Well, next up, I guess we'll check in with our president and CEO Laura Lamb and we'll get an update on what's happening around organization. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:14:06] Back this week with president and CEO Laura Lamb. Hi, how are you? Laura. 

 

Laura Lamb [00:14:12] I'm doing well Bryan, how about you? 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:14:14] Doing real well. Doing real well. Thanks so much. It's always good to catch up with you. So this week had a couple of things on my mind, but I thought we were discussing earlier that, you know, there's been a you've been doing some training with with some of our students recently. And I thought that was very kind of unique and wondered if you could kind of tell our audience about, you know, what that training was and how that how that went. 

 

Laura Lamb [00:14:45] Oh, yeah. It was unique. So it actually came from our our risk management team as we were talking about going back to school and, you know, preparing first employees that are in school. And you can imagine that most of our students are in college or our staff that are in school or in college. And most of the courses are online. But, you know, some universities are having in-person classes. So we wanted to just give them the tools to be successful. And it occured to us, as you know, myself and others, as parents of college age students, that, you know, sometimes students don't see the world, you know, the way maybe you know, somebody with more life experience does. So, for example, like, you know, when a 19-year-old, and I'll just use my son as an example, goes into class I'm sure he's not looking up and looking to see if he's sitting under an A.C. vent right? But that's important. If you want to protect yourself and be as safe as possible. So we got this idea that, you know, maybe we should give them a tool kit, literally a tool kit to be successful. So we started brainstorming and we created little gift boxes for every one of our employees that is going back to school this fall. And it included a couple homemade masks. It included some hand sanitizer, some Lysol wipes. 

 

Laura Lamb [00:16:24] A couple of granola bars. You know, a reminder of what what activities are most risky and least risky. Just a real nice collection. And it was sent into their home and then they were invited to attend to Zoom training session where we could unpack the box together and kind of review kind of what the principles are gone back to school safely and how this gift box can, you know, help them. And inside the gift box, I put a pair of Harry Potter glasses in every one. And that was kind of the mystery item, you know, people could kind of figure out what I was going to say about mask and say about hand sanitizer. But those Harry Potter glasses were like the talk of the group. 

 

[00:17:15] And so I had them all put their Harry Potter glasses. And I've used it in training before, Bryan. I don't know if you've ever been in it, but it's my funny way of kind of saying when you put these glasses on, you have to see the world differently. And magic, you know, it's Harry Potter magic. You put the glasses on and it's just a symbol of looking at the world differently and, they all had so much fun. They all put their Harry Potter glasses on on the Zoom meeting, and we all kind of laugh about how silly we looked. But it it makes a point that, you know, you have to be super intentional. You have to make sure that you are wearing your mask, covering your nose and your mouth, that you are washing your hands. And if you're not near a place to wash them, that you always have hand sanitizer when we give them the wipes, because, you know, when you sit down in a classroom, you should have a little wipe to wipe down the surface because you know who was there before you. You know, I'm sure universities are cleaning every day, but they're not cleaning between every class. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:18:25] Right. 

 

Laura Lamb [00:18:26] So just those kind of things. And it was, you know, a forty five minute dialog with the students and they really appreciated it and they loved it, particularly the granola bars. And that was to reinforce the point that, you know, stay out of the cafeterias as much as you can, pack your food, just be intentional. You can save money and not have as much exposure standing in a Starbucks line as an example. So it would be good. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:18:56] Yeah, I love the Harry Potter glasses ideas. As a Harry Potter fan that sounded fun. And but it's nice to hear, you know, taking the time because that is an important population that we employ. And and certainly young people probably have some challenges, inherent challenges, in going back to school. You know, with you mentioned cafeterias or cleaning spaces. But, you know, there's all kinds of activities, too. And I know I think you had some talk about that as well. Correct? 

 

Laura Lamb [00:19:30] We did. We did. And, you know, it's it's a difficult topic because when you think about going back to school, you know, we all think about, you know, the sports and the activities. And, you know, just like we've just been very direct with our staff throughout this, is that that's as you well know, we were talking about a situation in your neck of the woods, that that's how it seems to be spreading through these contact sports. You know, look at what in baseball as an example. The short amount of time, you know, 14 members of a team had it. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:20:10] Right. 

 

Laura Lamb [00:20:11] We've just said that, you know, we if you choose to play a sport this fall, this school year, I should say, then you take a leave of absence. We just can not. School is like a necessity. We're not going to stop somebodies pursuit of education. Right. Your curricular activities are kind of like that side job. You know what I mean? How can we say that you can't have a side job, but you're on a soccer team or a football team. So we said that for this for this school year, if you're going to work at ERS, you are not permitted to play organized sports like that. And we will put you on a leave of absence, will be will be fair about it. But it's true in line with our principles to make sure that our residents are as safe as they can be. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:21:05] Yeah, I think that that makes a lot of sense. It's almost like. Akin to, you know, we've asked staff members to only work at one of our communities rather than going through being at multiple places. So it's it I almost see that same analogy there. 

 

Laura Lamb [00:21:24] It totally is. It totally is. So the other thing I want I just wanted to bring up and it's something I kind of notice on and off over these past several months since the pandemic started. As I see there's people that that will be struggling on and off through that, and for various reasons. Emotionally, mentally, you know, people that I really respect in leadership, leaders in this industry, neighbors to coworkers. And I know you've studied the topic of resiliency and you've talked to the staff about and even the residents about the concept of we're in a marathon. And I wondered just if we could kind of talk about that a little bit more, because I don't think this is going away anytime soon. And we're all going to have to really rely on each other and and talk about this. So do you have any and any other words of wisdom or any research or anything you've read that that you could kind of share with our our audience, our residents and staff and families. 

 

Laura Lamb [00:22:36] Well, you're right, I don't know if I have wisdom, but I have done a lot of reading on the topic. And I think it's it's for two reasons. One is that, you know, from time to time, it's heavier. I feel the weight on my shoulders more than others. Candidly, I know that I have to build resiliency and be resilient. And so it's for that. But then also, to your point, to be able to help help others. And, you know, so, I think one of the things that my first question in this journey to understand it is, is resiliency something that you can teach? Can you be more? And, you know, this resiliency is a topic that the psychologists of the world really have studied quite, quite deeply. And they say that, you know, people are more or less resilient based on genetics, early experiences, all that kind of stuff, that those things can't be modified. But there are specific resilience building skills that can be learned that we can as people break out of negative thoughts cycles, as an example. We can push back against, you know, that that the sky is falling, that that kind of mentality. 

 

Laura Lamb [00:24:03] And we're in really kind of learn to look for the upside, the positive in a situation versus the negative. And, you know. And so, yes, the answer is a resounding yes. You can learn to be more resilient. And so then you have to ask yourself, well. OK. So how do you do that? And, you know, it really to me, it was really interesting because the same things that we uphold in our wellness approaches with any address are the same things that help build resilience. Interestingly enough, healthy habits such as getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising, reduces stress, which may in turn boost resiliency. Being sure that we nurture close relationships so that we have a support system ...  are all things that really can help. You know, I talk about times when when I need to build resiliency, you know, doing those healthy habits. But also, I believe in this. This is my personal belief is that there's a spiritual component as well. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:25:25] Yeah. 

 

Laura Lamb [00:25:26] There's some things I can control and that and some things that I can't. And I need to understand the difference between the two and help that kind of mold my way of looking at a situation. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:25:39] Yeah,. 

 

Laura Lamb [00:25:40] But Bryan, this is a very important topic. And, you know, just speaking personally, you know, I've said this to the staff and the residents that I really have to check how I'm spending my time, you know, working at home. And it seems like the days are endless. And just make sure that I'm, you know, self care is so important. And if I don't have a regimen of self-care and really take care of myself, you know, I've come to realize that I can't take care of others. So, you know, recently, you know, I started turning off some podcasts and doing or listening to books when I walk in. I am super consisted of getting a two mile walk in before I start my work day, because there are days where, you know, I might be on Zoom calls for six hours. I don't get my steps and I don't get that physical activity that I know I need. 

 

Laura Lamb [00:26:46] So, yeah, that's an important release. Get those endorphines moving. 

 

Laura Lamb [00:26:52] Exactly. Exactly. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:26:56] Yeah, that's very interesting. I think, you know, for myself, I mentioned this. I think I've mentioned this to your earlier. Just the concept of of gratitude and being thankful for for those that are, you know, when they're doing things for me or for others just to outwardly say thank you, can can lift my mood, lift the mood of somebody else. Because it sets that tone. So I felt that's so important as well. 

 

Laura Lamb [00:27:24] I agree. I mean, positivity and gratitude contagious, aren't they? 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:27:29] Yeah, absolutely. 

 

Laura Lamb [00:27:30] Just like negativity is so if we choose to be positive and verbalize that we're grateful, maybe even when we're not all there. Yeah. Yeah. It helps you move in that direction. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:27:45] Yeah, absolutely. I'm a big believer in that. That's something my dad always taught to me. And it's just I felt. I think, you know, the older we get, the older you realize how wise your parents are and it's definitely a life lesson. 

 

Laura Lamb [00:28:03] Interesting. For Sure. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:28:05] Well, Laura, thank you so much again for coming on. I really enjoy these updates every week and I know our listeners do as well. And we'll look forward to catching up again next week. 

 

Laura Lamb [00:28:16] OK. I look forward to that as well. Bryan. 

 

Kristin Davenport [00:28:28] Another update from Laura. It's always good to get her wise words, her perspective on how things are not only just going around the ERS communities, but also just like how we can continue to be resilient in the face of everything that we deal with in our day to day lives. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:28:47] Yeah, I particularly enjoy that topic in that discussion. You know, it's certainly, you know, it's been a challenging five months and we certainly have a, you know, a while more to go through this Covid 19. So I think just having those conversations and talking about how we can. Best care for ourselves and for each other is really, really important topic right now. So with that being said, I have a really inspiring interview to introduce now. Lou Zelie is a resident down at Episcopal Church Home. He's a former Presbyterian minister. And I just found myself coming out of this interview so positive. So I'm looking forward to sharing this. So here's my interview with Lou. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:29:40] So I'm here this week with one of our residents at Episcopal Church Home, Lou Zelle. Welcome, Lou. How are you? 

 

Lou Zelle [00:29:50] How am I? Some time ago, I would have answered, "I was just fine."  But then I read a book by a lady in NY. The title of the book was "Quit Saying, Oh, I'm Just Fine." 

 

Lou Zelle [00:30:13] So now you ask me how I am happy and thankful. 

 

Lou Zelle [00:30:21] Happy is healthy. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:30:25] Yeah. 

 

Lou Zelle [00:30:26] And everybody should be thankful. That's the basis of it. Also, those two, they're not dependent on circumstances. You can be happy in midst of a mess. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:30:47] Yeah. 

 

Lou Zelle [00:30:48] You can be thankful. When things don't seem to work right. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:30:56] As for our audience, you told me earlier that you were a Presbyterian minister, correct? That's traveled the world and all over the country. 

 

Lou Zelle [00:31:08] Yes. Been in about 30 countries. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:31:11] Wow. 

 

Lou Zelle [00:31:13] Those days too. And then, I have my family. They are scattered. They are scattered from New York and Pennsylvania, to Michigan, to Colorado, to Hawaii, to California and to Thailand.   

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:31:40] Wow. 

 

Lou Zelle [00:31:41] That's all over. That's pretty scattered. And my daughter says Thailand has dealt well with the virus. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:31:52] Thailand's dealt well with the virus. That's good to hear!  So, with that said, what have you done to stay, kinda, busy and active during the pandemic? 

 

Lou Zelle [00:32:04] One of the things with staying active is keeping up with all these old folks! See, there's a routine here and we live in a retirement home and it's been driving me crazy keeping up with them! 

 

Lou Zelle [00:32:21] I was awake and usually every morning, about 5 o'clock when a lady, one of the staff checks on me and everything. Then at 7 o'clock they wake me up by turning that bright light on over my head. And start to get me dressed. And then the ones, the residents who can do it, get down to the dining room by themselves and I've been paddling along in my wheelchair. Some can't do it, they push the wheelchair. I am able to feed myself. And some of the people in my department cannot and people feed them.  

 

Lou Zelle [00:33:24] All right, I want to get one more thing in here. First of all, this is so impressive. I'm a 103.

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:33:44] Wow. 

 

Lou Zelle [00:33:54] For the first time in my life. More than that, right now, about two weeks ago I had a rather severe stroke. Some of the staff so far, say they're able to understand me a little better. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:34:04] Well, I can understand you very well so you must be recovering quite well. Sounds like you've got some good people working with you like Jackie. 

 

Lou Zelle [00:34:15] Anyway, Jackie comes in on certain mornings and sits there telling me about *inaudible* 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:34:42] That's great. That's great. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:34:45] So it sounds like you're being very well taken care of. Time and time out the residents from Louiville speak highly of the staff.  

 

Lou Zelle [00:35:04] Also, tell them what else you do for me. 

 

Jackie [00:35:09] Well, you're also working with physical therapy and occupational therapy. 

 

Lou Zelle [00:35:15] I'm busy. 

 

Jackie [00:35:16] Yes. He's a very busy man. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:35:21] Sounds like every moment of your day is planned.  

 

Lou Zelle [00:35:22] So, hey, Lou you said that, you know, at the top of our interview that you'd read a book and you you feel very happy and thankful. But, you know, we're going through this really. You mentioned how Thailand is is doing a good job managing the virus. But, you know, this certainly is a challenge for a lot of people to live though. What are things that maybe happen in your life that have given you some good perspective to get through a panic pandemic or challenges in your life that you could maybe share with us? 

 

Lou Zelle [00:36:00] There is one one outstanding one that has given me wisdom and know how. I lost a 3 year old son. He died in West Africa. We moved to West Africa for 3 years and he died over there. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:36:25]  I'm so sorry to hear that. 

 

Lou Zelle [00:36:32] And he gave me the ability to understand other couples, or people, who have lost little children. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:36:43] Yeah. 

 

Lou Zelle [00:36:46] See, when we wonder sometimes why do bad things happen to good people? The lord says those things happen becuase that's when we learn. That's when we mature. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:37:04] Yes. 

 

Lou Zelle [00:37:09] And then we are ready to help other people.  And over the years both as a minister or a *inaudible* person I have been able to help people and a lot of it is just being with them and making them comfortable, not uncomfortable. Urging them to grieve. You don't say, "now be brave." You pass the Kleenex and cry. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:37:45] Yeah. 

 

Lou Zelle [00:37:52] In hospice we did that, that was their therapy. There were about 10-12 of us sat around crying, crying and comfortable doing it because if you don't get rid of it, if you don't deliberately get rid of it you'll carry it on. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:38:16] That's very wise. Lou. I think that's a very important point that you make. And thank you so much for sharing that. So, like, my last question was, you know, after the pandemic is over, is there anything that you're looking forward to doing again? 

 

Lou Zelle [00:39:15] What I'm looking forward are two things. A lot of my family, they live all the way in California and New York and I know there's no way I can travel around in this wheel chair. But I can talk over the phone to them constantly. And I do, constantly. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:39:19] Good. 

 

Lou Zelle [00:39:24] And now, by the way, I'm soon to have my 5th great grandchild. I don't know if it's a "she" or a "he". 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:40:01] You hope to meet them soon, though? 

 

Lou Zelle [00:40:07] Yeah. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:40:11] Well, good. Well, Lou, thank you so much agreeing to speak. 

 

Lou Zelle [00:40:50] There's one area, that I think we as Christians especially living in an Episcopal residency. Oh, and by the way I'm a member of the order of St. Lou. It's a healing ministry. We, as Christians, have a responsibility to tell people about Jesus. That's it. That's part of what we must do. And I find it very easy to get on the subject, here person to person. 

 

Lou Zelle [00:40:59] Thank you. Life is a blessing. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:41:08] Life is a blessing. Thank you so much, Lou, for joining us

 

Kristin Davenport [00:41:22] Bryan, Lou, is just amazing, isn't he? Just one hundred and three years old and just so positive and sharing such great wisdom with all of us. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:41:32] Yeah, Kristin and I really walked away from that. Just I just felt so grateful and thankful. As he mentioned in that happy and thankful, as he mentioned and just inspired. You know, he certainly had some challenge in his life, but he's always at service and wanting to make others feel good. And, you know, so articulate and sharing that. 

 

Kristin Davenport[00:41:55] So it was really a pleasure, a good reminder of why we're having these conversations for sure. 

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:42:00] Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, that's it for this episode of the Linkage podcast by Episcopal Retirement Services. For more information about us, you can visit our Web site at Episcopal Retirement dot com. We've lots of great content, including our linkage online blog. This this podcast in all of our episodes are up there, as well as many more resources. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or even YouTube to see what's going on within ERS. If you have any questions or feedback, please e-mail us at info@ERSlife.org.

We'd love hearing from our listeners. And even if you got a recommendation, we love hearing back. Linkage podcast is produced by Kristin Davenport and Bryan Reynolds. Feoshia Davis is our associate producer and our technical director is Michel Hoehn. I'd like to thank our guests today, including Linda Callard and Lou Zelle. And of course, always with. We love to have an appearance from our president and CEO Laura Lamb on behalf of myself. Bryan Reynolds and Kristin Davenport, thank you so much for joining us. And we look forward to our podcast next week. Thanks so much Kristin.