This morning, Julia Harlin, the Mansion Activities Director, send me this poem, which was written by a group of Mansion residents for us.

I loved this poem and the lonely, hopeful message that flows from it.

It is not easy or simple to live in an assisted care facility. And harder yet to be cut off from friends and family and visitors and to be deprived of the outings and walks that mean so much to people confined to institutional living.

This poem is a cry out to the outside world, a reaching out to life, a message of freedom, which has temporarily been taken from them.

A resident once told me that you can never really understand the importance of freedom until it is taken away.

I am grateful to the residents for writing it and sending it to me. This is a difficult time for them. In normal times, they feel cut off from the world and forgotten. These are not normal times.

I’ve written a bunch of poems with the residents, it’s strange to be on the other side.

The Birds In Spring

“Think of the fearless blue jay with gay color dressing up the fence.

Think of the eagle swiftly flying on strong wings, beautiful and free.

Think of the cardinal bravely, a brave and ruby red bird, it looks like Christmas,

but reminds us of Spring.

Think of the Sparrow whose happy song is like seeing the beauty of a dandelion in the

garden grass.

Thinking of all of them is a gift to me because they make me feel joyous and free.”

– Love, Madeline, Carol, Nancy, Claudia, and Dale.

During the lockdown of the Mansion and perhaps beyond, we have revived the Pen Pal program. Any of us can choose a resident to write to them either by e-mail ([email protected]) or by letter or card or photo, Pen Pals, The Mansion, 11 S.  Union Avenue, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

The Pen Pals at the Mansion are Dale and Gary, (Lois and Bill in Memory Care), Ellen, Matt, Gerry, Sylvie, Joanne, Madeline, Brother Peter, Georgianna, Georgiann, Barbara, Alanna, Linda, Nancy, Annette, Peggie, Becky, Jean, Roberta (Bert), Tim, Ben, John, Jim, Claudia, Ruth.

Thanks for writing to them. Today, as we have all week, we sent two medium pizzas over for the aides for their dinner. They appreciate a break from institutional food. Tomorrow Jean’s Place is catering a Mac N Cheese lunch with five different kinds of pie for the residents and the aides.

If you wish to contribute to the Mansion Support program, you can do so via Paypal, [email protected], or by check, Jon Katz, Mansion Support, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.