No matter her age, every mother deserves some extra love around Mother’s Day. On May 12, Rittenhouse Village at Valparaiso invited residents’ family members to join them in a celebratory “Coffee with Mom” breakfast.
Karen Anderson, Director of Events and Activities at Rittenhouse Village, said the event was a great way to bring residents and their children together for this special holiday.
“Today, we’re celebrating mom,” Anderson said. “It’s going fantastically. We’ve had quite a turnout!”
The tables were full and the smiles were, too. Purple and pink floral centerpieces added an extra cheeriness; they were raffled off toward the end of breakfast, much to the attendees’ delight. Even more delightful were the champagne mimosas that accompanied the promised coffee, and the presence of pianist Mark Schaffer, who played classic tunes in the background.
“It was so nice having Mark Schafer play the piano for us,” Anderson said. “He does a fabulous job.”
Every mother in attendance was special, but two moms in particular got some additional affection: Grace Lawton, the oldest mother in the room at 99, and LaVern Dilstan, the mother with the most kids and grandkids.
Dilstan had six family members with her for “Coffee with Mom,” but she has a total of eight grandkids and 12 great-grandchildren.
“Aren’t you glad they’re not all here today?” Dilstan joked. “They’d take over the room!”
Dilstan thought the day was splendid. When she looked at the family members who were present, she could not help but feel a swell of emotion.
“It’s all I can do not to cry,” Dilstan said. “I’m so happy to see all of them.”
Grace Lawton, who shared the morning with her daughter and son-in-law, could hardly contain her joy.
“It’s a wonderful day!’ Lawton said. “Could not be better! Absolutely fantastic!”
The feeling was mutual among residents, visiting family, and Rittenhouse employees.
“It’s just a joy to work here at Rittenhouse,” Anderson said. “We’ve got a great staff and it’s always wonderful to get to know all the residents.”
Anderson said that she enjoyed putting together the event with her coworkers. Any chance to see the residents interact and enjoy the day with their loved ones means a lot to the Rittenhouse at Valparaiso team, but celebrating the mothers made for an extra dose of sugar.
“There are just some sweet mamas here!” Anderson said.