February 2004
Beware of Falls and Fractures
Word tells us that we are created in His image. Scripture also proclaims that God is love. Logic follows then that we are meant to love and be loved. While I was a student nurse our instructor shared a documented experiment with our class that was so impressive that I have never forgotten the finding. Nurses in a newborn nursery tried two approaches of care with a group of newborn infants. One group was held, cuddled and talked to as they were fed, bathed and changed. The second group was cared for just as competently, but without the talking, cuddling and expressions of love.
The experiment had to abruptly be terminated because the second group of babies failed to thrive. Fear was that these babies would become seriously ill or die if the experiment was continued. Findings were that babies must have expressed love and personal attention in order to develop and grow properly. In other words, love was important for good health.
Similar experiments have recently been conducted with elderly people who live alone. In one case study, animals were given to some and not to others. Findings again showed that people respond positively to attention and love, even if from an animal. Having an animal to care for and gain expressions of love from actually resulted in lower blood pressure status and increased appetite for the persons who were given the pets. These experiments, and others like them, have clearly proven God’s declaration that all humans need to love and be loved.
The month of February is a focused time of love in America. Commercials are busy encouraging listeners to remember their valentine with a special gift of love. What these retailers do not emphasize is that your bodily presence and sincere interest in another person is by far the greater gift of love.
In our Baptist Retirement Communities we seek to show our residents that they are loved and appreciated all year long. There will be Valentines exchanged, small gifts shared and parties to celebrate the holiday, but the real gift of our Valentine season is the heartfelt love that is expressed and shared among residents and staff of our communities and the belief that this love is a reflection of the Devine Creator who first and foremost loves us.