By Leona M. Marvin

Because I love Christmas, because I respect the people who care for me and the other residents at Autumn Care of Suffolk, and since it’s my birthday (83 years old on Dec. 4), I thought I would write about some of the things I am thankful for at Christmas.

First, I’m thankful for family.

Some residents do not have families of their own, and some families do not even take the time to visit their loved ones, but those residents trudge on, anyway.

Then there are some families that visit with a gift and 15 minutes of their time. That’s something of a no-no. But the family that sits and talks and gives answers to many questions is special.

Our nurses give us a lifeline. They take us from sickness to health with the doctors’ instructions. They faithfully do their work with kindness and love, even when they are shorthanded or in the middle of a storm.

They are always there for us all.

Our certified nursing assistants are special people. They are the hearts of the residents they care for. Many of us are complete-care patients, and there is much backbreaking work for a CNA to do. But they can also talk with us and be so helpful in other ways, too.

They can make a resident’s day by bringing food and drinks, making us laugh, turning down our beds and reporting when residents need the attention of a nurse.

Those girls are here to stay. You just have to love a CNA!

That takes care of our nursing staff, but we can’t forget our therapy staff, which helps and heals so many.

Now, we also have so many more people to be thankful for, but I can’t mention them all at one time. Nonetheless, they are here watching over us. We residents are thankful for our staff at Autumn Care.

Well, my eyes are blurry, and my hands are hurting from the arthritis and finger sticks, due to diabetes, but I am so proud of all the people who care for us.

Christmas is coming, and I am on an unbelievable journey, an unexplainable path. This is my favorite time of year.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Leona M. Marvin is a resident of Autumn Care of Suffolk, located on Pruden Boulevard. She is 83 years old.