When Cecily first moved to town, she came with the plan to open a small bakery. She wanted the space to create the bakery along with a separate room that could be used as a classroom. She loved teaching others how to make interesting cake decorations and was excited to fulfill her dream of teaching others and providing baked goods to the community. She went out with a local realtor to look at available spaces and when they stopped by a location with a river view in the back and street access in the front, she knew it was perfect. It was the right sized space, and she was excited to begin the remodel work. It had been over two years since her husband passed and she had saved insurance money to fulfill her dream and move out of the city. He would have been so proud of her to know that she was living this dream they had often discussed.
The bakery had been running for six months when Janet stopped in to pick up her order of a dozen cupcakes to take to her senior lady’s meeting. Janet mentioned that her senior lady’s group was looking for a fun activity to do together. Cecily had not started the classes yet but she immediately thought it would be terrific fun to have the ladies in for a decorating class so she asked Janet if they would be interested. Janet said they would love to do this, and they set a class date.
The day of the class came and as the women arrived, Cecily was so excited. There were a few women who were using walkers and wheelchairs and Cecily took note that there would be ways to make the classroom easier to navigate for those with mobility needs. The women were oohing and aahing over the displays that Cecily had out on the tables, showing what they would be doing in class. They grabbed coffee and water and took their seats. Cecily started the class and showed them first how to mix the colors into the frosting to get their desired colors and the rainbow of color spread throughout the room. Next step was to learn how to spread the frosting on one layer of cake. They chatted happily as they all practiced their frosting skills. Next came the rose. It took a lot of practice to make roses and Cecily offered extended time and one-on-one support to help them make their first roses. There were many failures but over the hour, roses started to form. The first class was a definite success.
After class, everyone thanked Cecily for her time and patience with them. They asked if they could schedule the next class and she was happy to set up the time with them. One student held back and visiting with Cecily to ask if there was a way that she could be an apprentice in the bakery to learn more. It had always been her dream to make beautiful cakes and she would love to help without pay, just to learn and experience her dream.
That student was my client Ellen, and she was so excited to tell me about her new adventure when I stopped by for my weekly visit. She was alive with joy and looking forward to the future learning. I was so happy to see her engaged in something that excited her. She had a tough time during the COVID lockdowns, and she was looking for social activities to get out of the house. This apprenticeship with Cecily would give her the opportunity to get out of the house and to do something that she loved to do. I was so happy for her and worked to find appropriate transportation for her to participate in the apprenticeship. She learned how to make beautiful designs and was a natural talent. She also filled a role in Cecily’s life that she had been missing. The relationship they shared was very beneficial to both of them.
If you or an aging loved one are looking for ways to explore a passion or just find a way to pass the time, reach out to us by phone at 585-787-0009 or email us at lmiraglia@seniorschoicecare.com to find out how we can help.
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