JOYWritten by Irvin L. Rozier
Psalm 30.5 "For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in morning:She arrived late. She was supposed to be born before Christmas but she didn't want to leave warmth and comfort of her mother's womb. On January 13, 1975, she finally arrived! A nine pound, nine and a half ounce, beautiful baby girl! Her mom and I were so happy. We named her Joy Michelle Rozier because of joy she brought to our lives. We had lost our first child in 1973 (miscarriage during first trimester but still a child), so we were both glad Lord chose us to be her parents. She was born at hospital in Ozark, Alabama. I was in Army and already on orders to go to Germany, so four days after her birth, we went home to Georgia. I then went to Germany to set up household. I tell you, it sure was hard leaving my wife and new baby behind. Joy took her first airplane ride when she was two months old. She was very close to her mom. Joy would listen intently as we read to her, and at age of 13 months, she was already talking like a four year old. When she was two, her mom played a part in musical, "Jesus Christ, Superstar." Within a few days, little Joy would go around house singing all songs of that musical. We left Augsburg, Germany, in December 1977 and moved to Anniston (Fort McClellan) Alabama. Her mom took much time with Joy and her brother, Joel, and taught them many things. Most of all, she would shower them with hugs and kisses. They knew they were loved. Joy's grandmother, her mom's mom, had left her daughter and moved across country when Joy's mom was 12. Joy's mom always said, "I'll never leave my children, I love them too much." Joy entered kindergarten at age of five. We got a note from teacher a few days later. She had observed Joy and noticed that she was extremely bright. She suggested that we have Joy tested. We did, and Joy's intelligence (sorry for interruption. Joy just called me from England, May 28, 2003..confirmation from Lord that I should write this story) quotient was 148. When she entered first grade, she stayed one day and was skipped up to second grade. In 1982, we moved to Hawaii. At age of nine, Joy played part of Dorothy in a local production of Wizard of Oz. She memorized all of her parts in two days and would prompt other kids on their parts. The production was a resounding success and Schofield Barracks paper wrote a nice article about Joy. Her mom continued to be a wonderful mother to her three children; little Eva was born in 1979. During last year of our stay in Hawaii, Joy's mom's personality began to change. She was involved in bodybuilding, and I later found out that she had been taking steroids. We moved back to Fort Rucker, Alabama and within a year, I was a single parent to three broken hearted children. They really missed their mom, Joy especially. This was in April, 1986 when Joy's mom left. In late 1987, I was honorably discharged from Army after serving almost 16 years. It was too difficult to be a single parent soldier. We moved back to my home, Blackshear, Georgia, and Joy adjusted and made friends. In early 1987, Lord had saved me, so much prayer went into my decision to leave Army. Joy's great sense of humor and intelligence served her well in this move. I remember clearly night she came into my room and said, "Daddy, I think I started my period. I need some feminine hygiene products." I hugged her, and said, "Joy, you are not a little girl anymore, you are a young woman." My car was broke down, so on that cold, frosty, star studded night, I walked to town to get what she needed. I cried most of way there. I had lost my little bundle of Joy; she was growing up. I cried most of all that Joy's mom was not there to share that precious moment in her daughter's life.
| | There’s Some Place Like Home Written by Rita Phillips
As our population lives longer, need for quality care for elderly is growing and family members are frantically searching for creative alternatives that allow their loved ones to be part of family and community for as long as possible. They’re also searching for options that help them feel good about their decision and that minimize inevitable feeling of guilt.Bob Phillips, owner of S.A.R.A.H. Adult Day Services in Strongsville knows from personal experience that his facility provides such an alternative for many families facing these difficult choices. “My mother lived alone and was quite self-sufficient for 23 years. Then she broke her leg and everything changed,” explains Bob. “It was obvious she needed care during day that our family couldn’t provide, but we weren’t comfortable with our options. We knew Mom didn’t need to be in a nursing home and home health care didn’t provide her social interaction with anyone but home care aide.” Shortly afterwards, Bob sought advice of Dr. Merle Griff, an experienced Gerontologist in Canton area. In 1985, Dr. Griff founded S.A.R.A.H. Adult Day Services in Canton. The more Bob spoke to her, more interested he became in adult day care, not only as a customer but as a provider. In October of 2001, after considerable research and planning, Bob and his wife, Rita, opened Strongsville S.A.R.A.H. Center. See SARAH Adult Day for more information. Rita Phillips designed center’s interior to be reminiscent of ‘Grandma’s House.’ Victorian style furniture complete with lace doilies fills living room, dining room and parlor. “Memories are important to elderly. We want our clients to feel at home when they’re here,” says Rita. More important to center’s ‘homey’ atmosphere is staff. S.A.R.A.H. employs six full time staffers, including an R.N., each of whom has a home health care background and experience working with seniors. “No one wants to think about leaving their loved one with strangers all day, but once our families meet our staff, they no longer seem like strangers,” offers Bob.
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