Bethlen Almanac 1997 (Ligonier)
The Bethlen Home
The Retirement Cottages at the Bethlen Home Not the talkers but the doers go to heaven. (Mathew 7:21, 24-25) Anyone who chooses a new life is courageous and to be admired! One must be resolute and have a very strong will-power to leave behind an accustomed life, house and belongings. If we are talking about a couple, they need to be in agreement on all important issues, and be guided by all the love they have for each other. We are perfectly aware that it is not enough to receive our new cottage residents with an open heart and a lot of love, because we cannot substitute the home they left behind or the belongings that they were unable to fit into their new home. We just hope for their happiness and pray that they find here, at the Bethlen Home, what they are looking for. Usually a new cottage resident, after being welcomed and informed about our customs and traditions, gets introduced at the monthy “tea parties,” which we hold on the first Thursday afternoon of each month. This is a well-received program, which has become a tradition for many years. These occasions are precious to all of us! Not only because we can talk about all the happenings, the upcoming problems in the cottages, but when triggered, we sometimes indulge in deep-rooted conversations and reminiscences of life stories. These stories could be very educational for the younger generations, to those who never suffered the hardship of an immigrant’s life. One nice day, if God permits me, these stories will be printed because they are worth the printer’s ink! These occasions strengthen our friendship and brotherly love toward each other and everyone goes home with a warm, loving feeling. On the big holidays: Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving, we usually spend the afternoon together, enjoying a festive meal, endulging in goodies prepared in the Bethlen Home’s kitchen, overseen by everybody’s beloved Esther Berkey, the food service manager. We all need love, affection and help when hardship, sickness or sadness pound on our doors. We are here for each other! Among the cottage residents one can see what Christian brotherhood is all about. Once weekly the Bethlen Home’s minivan takes the residents to shop in town or to any of the seven local staff-physicians, although one or two of them also do housecalls. Some of the cottage residents still have their cars. Since each cottage has a comfortable, ample garage, storage space is not a problem. 50
