A Circle of Support

T.L.C. at The Culpeper Offers Belonging, Connection

Inspired by the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the connections found in The Culpeper’s TLC group, this poem celebrates the simple joys, shared stories, and caring spirit that start each day at The Culpeper. Read more about T.L.C. in this edition of LifeSpire’s Community Matters.

This is T.L.C., Year 2: A Poem by Harold Kelly, The Culpeper Resident

It’s morning again in the foothills
of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Old Rag sits in the distance.
It yawns,
and when it does,
a cool morning breeze is released
into the hollows,

down to the valley
and then into the foothills.
It moves the aroma
of brewing coffee, sizzling bacon.
It stirs the senses
as another day begins.

And as it does,
Old Rag gently announces:
’Tis a celebration day.
And with that,
the low-hanging fog slowly lifts
as the sun extends its rays.

The Culpeper,
a retirement village,
begins to awaken.
And thus,
it’s morning again in the foothills.

Flowers of yellow, red, and purple
contrast against the green grass.
A red barn appears in the distance.
A new day has dawned.

The dining room soon hums
with sounds of chatter, laughter,
the clatter of utensils.

Staff and residents exchange greetings.
It’s morning again in the foothills,
and the ladies of this small community
prepare to gather,
to share their lives,
to talk with others about life’s
high and low moments,
favorite memories,
and to share a laugh or two.

Soon a slight buzz
of muted conversation
emanates from a gathering place.
It’s time for another year of mornings of
TLC—Talk, Laugh, Care.

How swiftly the first year slipped by,
yet it is now
morning again in the foothills of the Blue Ridge.

Stories to be told,
histories shared,
laughter evoked,
caring, always caring, prevails.

Some choose to share,
others only to listen.
All are included.
All welcomed.
It’s morning again in the foothills,
and the sounds of talking, laughing,
and caring
waft through the air.

Talk. Laugh. Care.
TLC.
It’s the essence of life,
and so we celebrate that
It’s morning again in the foothills.

And as my good friend Charlie Brown says—
to make a difference in someone’s life,
you don’t have to be brilliant, rich,
beautiful, or even perfect—
you just have to care.