There’s no one who loves holiday magic — the stuff of Hallmark movies — more than I do. Sure, I think, when watching one of these productions, the parole officer could fall in love with the criminal, and when he brings her to jail on Christmas Eve, it’s possible that he could propose to her instead. I buy it every time. I realize I’m not like most people — as my husband explains it, I’m “only a Great Pumpkin away from crazy.”
Be that as it may, my healthy holiday spirit serves me well in delivering messages to my clients in new and interesting ways this time of year. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned in senior living marketing, it’s that believing in the impossible is a must.
Less than a year ago, when I first began noticing an alarming change in my dad’s behavior — what would later be diagnosed as the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease — I remember daydreaming about how a Hallmark movie would depict this kind of situation. It felt good to know that in my own little made-up world, my makeup and hair would never suffer, no matter how bad things got — but I wanted more. How would they tie everything up in a big red bow when it was discovered that my husband’s father has a life-changing health issue as well? That we are the children who live closest in both families, and we’re facing a future full of health-related decisions for our parents?
Instead of focusing on the reality, I imagined my perfect scenario instead: my father and my in-laws would move into the same retirement community. They would live close to us, we’d all spend holidays together, and our parents would be best friends. (They also, of course, would declare to the world what we already know: we’re their favorite children.)
When I told people my plan, they laughed. It was understandable — how impossible to think something like this could actually happen. But you know what? It did. In less than a year, all our parents were living mere blocks apart in the same retirement community. We’ll be together this Christmas. I’m still waiting for that public declaration, but I’m sure it’s coming any day now.
The process wasn’t all that magical, just confirmation of the basics of advertising — seeing is believing, and word of mouth is the most powerful tool there is. But the idea that it’s never too late to make a change, you don’t have to settle when it comes to your future, that’s what got the ball rolling. What a simple, yet powerful, message to share with prospective residents, and loved ones like me, especially this time of year.
I believe in holiday magic. The question is, do you?
My hero, Betty White, is at it again — breaking barriers when it comes to aging. Her latest act, after celebrating her 89th birthday with us in Kansas City, is to produce and host her own television show. The concept of the show is senior citizens “punking” younger people with pranks. (Gotta love the fact that it’s tentatively titled Off Their Rockers.)
