St. John’s Home Celebrates the Summer Solstice

Residents at St. John’s Home took part in a Summer Solstice celebration hosted by St. John’s Spiritual Care and Therapeutic Recreation Departments to ring in the summer season.

“A lot of our residents often will express how important it is for them to be outside,” St. John’s Spiritual Life Partner Alisa Unell told News 10 NBC.

“They don’t always have the words to say that it’s holy or sacred” said Unell. “But it does something spiritual to them. It changes the way they feel about the world, changes the way they feel about being inside a nursing home.”

The celebration took place in the courtyard at St. John’s Home and featured a theatrical storytelling of summer with residents and staff members as actors. The play depicted the growth, beauty, and perseverance of nature that flourishes in the summer season.

Following the play, residents had the opportunity to plant a flower seed. Each seed acted as a symbolic representation of an affirmation or hope they may have for the season. The flower will bloom at the end of summer and showcases the patience and care needed to see the payoff of their labors.

Many of the residents spoke about how they plan to celebrate summer all season long. Some of the responses included: going to summer barbeques in the courtyard, listening to live music, tending to their seeds, and having visitors.

This celebration is one of the many nondenominational spiritual events that take place at St. John’s. Unell said that connecting with nature can be “grounding and spiritual, no matter a person’s faith.”

More photos from this event can be seen here.

Watch: News 10 NBC‘s “Residents at St. John’s Senior Living and Care celebrate summer solstice”