In this season so often dedicated to buying or receiving the “ideal gift,” to many, our presence, our time, is the best present we can share. 

Like other students, service first seemed like a chore to Senior Gabby Smith. It wasn’t until she and her sister began volunteering at The Blake, a senior living center in Florida where their family spends their summers, that she learned the value of time. 

While the statistics vary depending on the source, it is no secret that most assisted living residents do not get regular visitors. Gabby realized this isolation and quickly learned the significance of her presence.

“I remember how much everyone's faces would light up when I walked into the room, and how disappointed they looked when I told them I had to go back to school,” Gabby said. “Every day without fail, a resident would come up to me and tell me how much my time there meant to them; that I brought a sense of youth into the building they had not felt in a long time.” 

Gabby and her sister, Gretta, spent hours playing Uno and bingo with the residents, which often turned into having lunch with them and conversing long after the games ended. 

Humans are social creatures, and we have an innate need to interact and connect with others. While many cultures revere their elders, U.S. residents collectively spend hundreds of billions of dollars annually on antiaging products and treatments. We live in a society that fears age instead of seeking the wisdom and vision that comes from lived experience. Gabby met former teachers, married couples together for decades, and social butterflies guaranteed to join every activity offered. She made them friendship bracelets, incorporating their favorite teams’ colors, and even taught residents how to make their own. They proudly wore Gabby’s creations, leaving them a reminder of her compassion and love. 

Even when residents in the memory care unit became confused or hostile, Gabby remained calm and patient. As her sister Gretta put it, “Working in memory care is difficult because it is harder to see the impact of your connection because the relationships you build are often forgotten the next day. Gabby kept showing up for the residents to the point where they started to recognize her.” 

Residents commented on the immense amount of respect Gabby held for everyone there, a sentiment unsurprising to those who know her. Gabby is gifted when building genuine relationships and realizes the lasting impact even the slightest interaction can leave. 

“It really made me understand the value of human connection, and how there are so many things that I take for granted in life; even what seems like a simple hug from your mom, is something that other people miss every day.” 

Genuine connections can cross all boundaries, be it age, race, socioeconomic status, ability, identity, and orientation, to name a few. Even when communication and memory issues posed small barriers, Gabby developed relationships and built connections simply by giving her time. 

Serving others does not require grand gestures or even abundant bank accounts. Serving others means showing up, being present, and seeing the humanity in the person you’re serving. Service is about joining hands to improve the lives of those around us. As Gabby put it, 
“I learned that going through service does not have to be something I do simply to complete it, it can be something that I find joy in. I plan on keeping in touch with these folks through letters, and visiting them for Christmas because that is how much they mean to me.” 

As we scramble to wrap presents this holiday season and get caught up in the hustle and bustle, may we all remember the greatest gift we could ever give or receive is our time and connection.