There's No Place I'd Rather Be Than Right Here.
There's No Place I'd Rather Be Than Right Here.
Last night, employees gathered to celebrate another amazing year at their Employee Appreciation Event. Great conversation was had, food was devoured, and the comedian had us all in stitches. But executive director of Legacy Terrace, John Kopetzky topped it all off with a heartfelt closing speech that left every employee there brimming with pride and maybe even brough a few tears to the eyes...
"Country music aficionados love the song titles.
All My Exes Live in Texas
How Can I Miss You If You Won’t Go Away
You’re the Reason Our Kids are So Ugly
She Got the Gold Mine and I Got the Shaft
There’s one of my favorites, a #1 hit by Johnny Russel in 1973. It’s a tribute to a blue-collar bar. The title is, "Rednecks, White Socks, and Blue Ribbon Beer."
The opening line of the song is, “There’s no place that I’d rather be than right here...with my red neck, white socks, and Blue Ribbon Beer.”
Now, you’re probably asking, what on earth does this have to do with the Legacy Retirement Communities?
A couple months ago, residents on Main Street...speaking loudly, couldn’t help but overhear, “There’s no place that I’d rather be than right here.”
Johnny Russell apparently morphed into an 87.6-year-old woman with a sweater, glasses, and gray hair, who has a better than 50/50 chance of being named Betty.
“There’s no place that I’d rather be than right here.”
We have somewhere north of 700 residents, and nearly all of them share that same opinion.
And that’s because of each and every one of you [our employees]. Your dedication and professional skills – and most important – your KINDNESS every day means that there’s no place they’d rather be than right here, at Legacy Arbors, Legacy Estates, The Legacy, and Legacy Terrace.
It's knowing that they like their coffee black with no creamer and bringing it to their table without them having to ask.
It’s calling Bingo for the 750th time, nice and loud, so they can all hear.
It’s having a smile on your face when you come in first thing in the morning to help them get dressed.
It’s answering their question with patience...when they’ve asked the same question - and you’ve answered it - five times already. In the past hour.
It’s warming the car up on a cold winter morning before the first drive so they’re comfortable on their way to the doctor.
It’s greeting their family members with a smile and kind word when they come to visit, making them feel welcome.
It’s encouraging them to keep going on the Nu-Step or helping them exercise during Stretch and Tone (and Moan).
It’s taking the time to listen to the prospective resident and to find out what their wants and needs are...and not simply trying to rent that vacant apartment.
It’s reassuring a distraught family member that it wasn’t their mother saying those hurtful things...it was her dementia speaking.
It’s changing that leaky faucet or plunging that plugged up toilet with a smile on your face.
It’s walking with our new residents before, during, and after their move-in to help them overcome their fears.
It’s finding out what a resident’s bucket list item is...and then making it happen.
It’s making sure you vacuum the carpet in their apartment just they way they like.
It’s cooking a resident a meal of pork and beans, fried eggs and potatoes – just because they asked.
It’s helping them pick out the perfect birthday card for their daughter who lives on the other side of the country.
It’s arranging for a singer to come in so a resident – who spends nearly all of his waking hours in a scooter – can get up and dance for the first time since he danced with his late wife ten years ago.
It’s being there overnight with a resident so they and their family know they will be safe.
It’s comforting a dying resident and their family in the last hours they have together.
It’s all those people behind the scenes, making sure the bills are paid, the paychecks are written, new employees are hired, our story is shared on Facebook, all of those things that make this a great place.
There’s no place that they’d rather be than right here.
And all of you [employees] make it happen. Every hour of every day.
On behalf of the Joyce family, the leadership of the Legacy Retirement Communities, our residents and their families and friends, thank you [employees]. Thank you for your wonderful care and compassion. Thank you for being outstanding co-workers. Thank you for being a friend.
It is our hope that, other than being with your loved ones, there’s no place that you’d rather be than right here...part of the team at Lincoln’s finest communities for seniors.
Thank you for attending tonight. Good night, and may God bless you and yours."