Inspiration from Albert Einstein, Relevant Today More Than Ever

 "Do not grow old no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born."

Autism Silenced This Teenager. It Couldn't Stop Him From Creating a 70-Minute Symphony

                                                      (Picture credit:  Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
LOS ANGELES — 
“Unforgettable Sunrise’s” composer, 19-year-old Jacob Rock, listened from the far side of the room. Jacob, dressed in a brown Neil Young T-shirt, sat beside his father, Paul Rock, and watched through a mop of brown hair that nearly covered his eyes. Jacob was nearly vibrating with excitement as the strings rippled and marimba clattered. He had lived with this music for years, unable to get anyone to hear it. Now it was finally out.

After the rehearsal, Paul, 64, spoke about his son, bewildered by the scale of the music they’d just heard: “He’s been invisible to the world until this,” Paul said.

Jacob Rock lives with profound non-oral autism. His condition makes him all but unable to speak, with other debilitating physical effects inhibiting communication and socializing. Until three years ago, he’d been unable to speak with his family outside of physical gestures, which often conveyed deep frustration and self-harm.

In 2020, a breakthrough utilizing text-to-voice software revealed that Jacob had a deep acuity and sensitivity to language and art. He could now verbally communicate with his parents, and they could learn about his inner world.

Jacob revealed that since childhood, he’d been composing a symphony. He had all the arrangements and melodies locked in place. He couldn’t write notation or play the instruments his music required, but he could describe what he heard. Could they help him find a way to play it?

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Autism Silenced This Teenager. It Couldn’t Stop Him From Creating A 70-Minute Symphony

A Miniature Cow Shares Love and Hope With Elderly People With Memory Problems

A cute, miniature cow is creating a buzz in Oakwood Creative Care in Mesa, Arizona, for cheering and helping elderly people with memory problems.

Dolly Star visits the adult day center weekly to bring joy and a unique kind of therapeutic company to its community members who have been diagnosed with neurological disorders like dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and schizophrenia.

Their delightful encounters with Dolly are helping these elderly residents to develop new memories and recall old ones. The miniature cow responds with happy licks to affectionate pats and strokes. As a reward, the residents give the adorable cow marshmallows, which they learned is Dolly’s favorite treat.

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A Miniature Cow Shares Love and Hope With Elderly People With Memory Problems

Australian Couple Book 51 Back-to-Back Cruises as it's Cheaper Than Living in Retirement Home

A couple more than 450 days into their ongoing cruise holiday say they’re still having a ‘lot of fun’.


    (Picture credit:  A Current Affair/David Sacks/Getty Images)

Marty and Jess Ansen believe that living on a cruise ship is cheaper than checking into a retirement home. Last June, they decided to put their theory to the test and headed off on the first of their 51 back-to-back holidays.

Speaking to A Current Affair, Marty said: "We're on board longer than anybody else. The wheels change over but we stay on board.”

Agreeing with her partner, Jess then said that as a couple, they regularly ‘welcome new captains on board the ship’ as well as their most recent hotel manager, Ren van Rooyen.

Speaking to the outlet, Van Rooyen said: “We always make a joke that I go away and I come back and it's like coming to see my family - my mum and dad again - they're like my second mum and dad on board.”

As well as the hotel manager, other members of the ship crew have reportedly begun to treat the Ansens as family - with Jess being surprised on board for her birthday.

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Couple Book 51 Back-to-Back Cruises as it's Cheaper Than Living in Retirement Home

MN FIRST GRADER GOES DOOR-TO-DOOR WITH OFFER TO READ TO SENIORS!

EAST GRAND FORKS, Minn. —
Maggie [7 years old] knocks on Joni Benson's door before entering her apartment.

“Okay, what are you going to read to grandma?” Joni asks.

Joni isn’t really Maggie’s grandma; it just feels that way when the two are sharing a book.

Over the next couple hours, the process will be repeated multiple times. Maggie walks from apartment to apartment, knocking on doors, as residents of Good Samaritan Society Heritage Grove senior living invite her in to read to them.

Maggie’s mother, Tiffany Kuznia, works at Heritage Grove. On snow days, Maggie would go with her mother to work.

Last winter, Maggie was packing her bag for the day, when her mother reminded her to bring her Nintendo Switch.

“I'm not bringing that today,” Maggie responded. “I'm going to bring books and I'm going to read to the residents.”

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First Grader Goes Door to Door With Offer to Read to Seniors

A Visually Impaired Engineer Invents a SMART Cane That Guides Blind People Using Google Maps

While the more recent innovations were designed for entertainment, some companies are taking technology to the next level by incorporating a high level of help and hopefully, to make a difference to the lives of people who need it the most.

“Unfortunately I cannot name a single city as a perfectly disabled-friendly city that is why we are trying to provide this independence for visually impaired people” shared Kurtsat Ceylan on CNN.

The WeWALK smart cane for blind people was born from a visually impaired engineer named Kursat Ceylan. He is also the CEO and co-founder of a non-profit called the Young Guru Academy (YGA), the one responsible for making WeWALK come to life.

As someone who faces the daily challenges of being blind, Kursat Ceylan knew the limitations of the current technology that people like him have to make do of. Knowing this, he created the WeWALK in hopes of changing the lives of the blind.

This innovative cane includes a built-in speakers, voice assistance, Google Maps Chrome, a Bluetooth system that makes syncing to other devices possible, and high-end sensors that alerts the user through vibrations when above chest level obstacles are within proximity—something a regular cane cannot provide.

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A Visually Impaired Engineer Invents a SMART Cane That Guides Blind People Using Google Maps

"Your Mother Is Always With You"

 

(Author unknown)

Couple Celebrates 60th Anniversary With Adorable Photoshoot, Wearing Their Original Wedding Attire

By Shilpa Das Gupta

A Nebraska couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a special photoshoot. Decades after exchanging their marital vows, Lucille and Marvin Stone finally got the opportunity to bring out the original outfits they wore on their big day, and boy was it beautiful.

For the blushing bride, her wedding gown was more than just a dress, as she had carefully hand-sewn it when she was just 22. "The thing that took the longest was making 52 buttons that are on the sleeves and down the back," she told KHGI-TV. But years later, she managed to slip into the same dress and pose adorably with her husband, who looked dashing in his vintage suit and bowtie.

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Couple Celebrates 60th Anniversary With Adorable Photoshoot, Wearing Their Original Wedding Attire

"Don't Blink" (Kenny Chesney)

 

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YouTube

"I turned on the evening news Saw a old man being interviewed Turning a hundred and two today Asked him what's the secret to life He looked up from his old pipe Laughed and said "All I can say is. "Don't blink" ...

109-Year-Old Veteran and His Secrets to Life Will Make You Smile

Meet Richard Overton, America's oldest veteran. In this lively short film by Matt Cooper and Rocky Conly, hear the whiskey-drinking, cigar-smoking supercentenarian reveal his secrets to a long life.


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YouTube: 109-Year-Old Veteran and His Secrets to Life Will Make You Smile

93-Year Old Gets Tired of Boredom and Opens His Own Boozy Bakery

Retirement is usually a time to take it easy… slow down… and maybe take up a relaxing hobby. But Ray Boutwell – accomplished carpenter, portrait-painter, World War II veteran, and grandfather of two – got bored. And so at 93, he decided to embark on what he felt would delay the obituary and ensure longevity of life – he was going to make cupcakes.

When his wife died in 2012, Ray tried to stay busy, but he knew he needed to stay active. “I said to myself, ‘I’ve got to do something more physical, or I’m going to pass.’”

And now Boutwell has dusted off the cobwebs of retirement to make cupcakes. But these aren’t ordinary cupcakes! Ray’s Boozy Cupcakes were inspired by liquor-laced sweets he read in a magazine in his cardiologist’s office.


“I’ve got about 20 flavors, some for vanilla cupcakes and some for chocolate. I do one with tequila, I call it a ‘sunrise,’ another I call ‘sherry cherry,’ some with blueberry vodka, and one with a hazelnut filling and Angelica liqueur.”

It is evident that the business may contribute to longevity of life, as Boutwell intended. Each day he gets up at 4 o’clock, and his staff can hardly keep up.“Now I work eight, nine, sometimes 10 hours a day in the new place, and I really feel great.”

Sales are good and Boutwell is paying off his mortgage. “We ran out of everything,” he said. “They started out buying like one or two — now they buy ’em by the dozen.”

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93-Year Old Gets Tired of Boredom and Opens His Own Boozy Bakery

Young@Heart Chorus: "Fix You"

Fred Knittle (RIP) of Young@Heart Chorus performs "Fix You" by Coldplay in a scene from the film. "Young@Heart"

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YouTube: Young@Heart Chorus: "Fix You"

Bing Crosby and David Bowie: Peace on Earth

 

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YouTube: Peace on Earth

Dad Bought an Ice Cream Truck So His Two Kids with Down Syndrome Can Run Their Own Business

Thinking of a way to give back to the community and support people with Down syndrome, Joel Wegener of Ohio decided to buy an ice cream truck to create a career path for his special needs children.

What’s the best way to get people and a community together? Food, yes, but ice cream? Even better! Joel, 61, and his wife Freida have 10 children, two of whom were born with Down syndrome, Mary Kate and Josh.

People with Down syndrome are born with an extra chromosome, which leads to a wide range of physical and developmental problems. Down syndrome is a lifelong condition and cannot be cured.

Why an ice cream truck?

He explained, “The reason the ice cream truck is so perfect is that it has allowed them both to develop their interactive and social skills in a comfortable environment.”

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Dad bought an ice cream truck so his two kids with Down syndrome can run their own business

Wife Who Has Dementia Remembers Husband on Their 72nd Anniversary Photo Shoot

It was an eventful day for Grace Manor Care Center, a senior living facility in Burlington, Colorado. Leonard and Shirley Matties were about to celebrate their 72nd wedding anniversary, but this time, it will be the most memorable one yet.

When Ardis Behrendsen, a Certified Nurses Aide, discovered the 91-year-old couple’s anniversary was nearing, she planned and organized an entire celebration for the lovebirds’ special day. Shirley and Leonard have been together for seven decades, and Behrendsen wanted to go the extra mile. Reaching your 72nd year as a married couple is not something you can celebrate every day.

The Matties family was already planning for an anniversary party, but Behrendsen thought a photo shoot would be a perfect memento for the couple’s everlasting love. She got a beautiful pink gown for Shirley, and it didn’t take long before the whole senior living facility took notice of the 91-year-old’s gorgeous dress and charming smile.

When everything was all set, a staff member of the senior living facility wheeled Shirley out into the hallway and onto where Leonard was staying. When Leonard saw her wife roll towards his direction, his face became filled with color—he was absolutely delighted to see the love of her life in a flowy pink gown.

Despite more than 13,000 views of the Behrendsen’s Facebook post, not everyone knows that the 91-year-old woman in the pink gown has dementia. In the video posted by Ardis, Shirley seemed to recognize Leonard’s face. She even reached his man’s hand as the couple held hands.

People with dementia, especially the elderly, find it more difficult to store and remember new memories or information they got within a short period. But this was not the case with Shirley—she was able to recognize her husband, react accordingly, and be in the ‘present’.

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Wife Who Has Dementia Remembers Husband on their 72nd Anniversary Photo Shoot

Young@Heart Chorus: Merry Christmas Baby

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YouTube:  Young@Heart Chorus: Merry Christmas Baby

Kind Nurse Designs Adult Bibs That Look Like Shirts, Restoring Dignity

Paige Meyer, a young nurse from Australia, designed dignity bibs for her patients to help them feel more comfortable. During her career, one of her tasks involved feeding patients who could no longer do so alone.

Paige put adult bibs on them to keep their clothes clean but never liked traditional bibs much. Since they’re associated with babies, she felt they might humiliate her elderly patients. They never disliked the bibs, but Paige’s intuition told her they deserved better.

Plus, she had firsthand experience with the degrading nature of adult bibs when her grandma’s dementia worsened. Her caretakers supplied her with a bib during mealtimes, which wasn’t easy for family members to witness. After all, no one wants to watch their loved ones suffer.

So, based on her experiences with adults in her care, Paige wanted to create dignity bibs instead. They resemble everyday button-up clothing so patients won’t feel embarrassed at a meal. This aesthetically pleasing clothing provides protection functions like regular vinyl bibs, making meals more enjoyable for patients.

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Kind Nurse Designs Adult Bibs That Look Like Shirts, Restoring Dignity

Crane Operator Shares Heartwarming Story About Elderly Man Who Shows Up at Work Site Every Day

A crane operator gained something unexpected from working on a work site – a new friend.

It all began when Shawn Beveridge, a crane operator, kept noticing a man on a wheelchair sitting outside a  nursing home across the construction site where he was working.

The man seemed captivated by what he was seeing and consistently showed up every day at the same spot, just watching them build all day long.

“Since day 1 when I arrived on this job site I’ve noticed him sitting there every morning from 7am he takes lunch when we do and doesn’t leave until I shut the crane down and head out,” Shawn wrote in a now viral Facebook post about the man.

Shawn thought to himself, “he’s just a curious old man and wanting to enjoy his days outside vs being cooped up in his room.” But as he would later learn, there was more to this man’s story than meets the eye.

After a couple of days, curiosity got the better of the crane operator, and he decided to approach the man who was as usual across the work site and introduce himself.

Shawn learned that the man’s name was Harold and that he had been staying in the nursing home for seven years. Their first conversation lasted for two and a half hours and in that time, Shawn learned that Harold was nearing the end of his life.

“His heart valves are clogged and some disease has been eating at him for years,” he wrote.

Before his health failed, Harold worked as a crane operator for over fifty years, which explains why he liked to stay outside and watch them work.

“He said he enjoys seeing what he use to love to do for a living and never thought he’d ever be able to see or be around a crane again and let alone be so close to see one in action,” Shawn wrote.

Harold had two daughters and a son but unfortunately, none of them have paid him a visit ever since he came to live in the nursing home seven years ago. That’s when Shawn thought of making a deal with the man.

He told him that he would come and chat with him every day at the work site after his shift so Harold could critique his work. In exchange for his advice, Shawn would bring him a black coffee every morning and buy him lunch twice a week from wherever he wishes.

“He didn’t skip a beat before ABSOLUTELY! came out of his mouth. I guess I’m writing this post because if I would have never walked over to him I would have never gotten to know him. I’m thankful to have the opportunity to make this man’s last days enjoyable. Filled with purpose and to be able to help him smile again,” Shawn wrote.

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Crane Operator Shares Heartwarming Story About Elderly Man Who Shows Up at Work Site Every Day

This Bride's Four Grandmas Were Flower Girls in her Wedding

When wedding arrangements are made, the flower girl role is typically assigned to little children. While that is the norm, a couple who recently got married chose to take a different route – by asking their four grandmothers to walk as flower girls at their wedding! Thus, they have the cutest wedding photo book ever!

The post went viral, and the photographer had nothing but praises for the four women. She told Today Style: “I was not expecting the level of sass that these girls brought. Their energy all day was that of a little girl who was in the same position. It truly just goes to show that age is just a number.” Lyndsey told the HuffPost that the grandmas were all “ecstatic” when she asked them to be her flower girls. They gave an even bigger reaction than the other people who were included in the wedding.

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This bride's 4 grandmas were the flower girls at her wedding, the photos are beautiful

Elderly Man Pushes His Disabled Dog on a Cart Every Day so He Can Still Go for a Walk

For an animal lover, there is no such thing as a ‘pet’ because for them, their domesticated animal is a friend, a loved one, a family. In fact, countless stories showing how much a pet means to its owner always appear from time to time. Yet, reading such stories has never failed to make someone smile.

In Vibo Valentina, Italy, you will see Tonino Vitale and his 13-year-old dog. Seeing them walking and exploring the city together will surely tug the strings of your heart.

Recently, while spending time in the city, Sabrina La Grotteria saw a remarkable sight! Apparently, Tonino is walking with Dylan, but not in the way an owner normally walks his dog. The kind and loving old man was pushing his loyal dog in a cart.

According to Tonino, Dylan is fond of taking afternoon walks. Unfortunately, due to arthritis (yes, even dogs can develop arthritis), Dylan had lost the mobility of his rear legs.

Because Tonino knew just how much Dylan loves walking around the city, the old man had decided to push him around in a cart. Although pushing a cart with an adult dog riding it seems to be a herculean task for an old man like Tonino, still Tonino does not complain. For him and his family, all that matters is that Dylan is alive and happy.

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Elderly Man Pushes His Disabled Dog on a Cart Every Day so He can Still Go for a Walk