LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Reese Dilly earned the title “Best Dressed” of the Lexington Christian Academy preschoolers this Valentine’s Day. Rather than earning a reward, Reese joined her classmates from LCA and gave out valentines to the residents of Sayre Christian Village.
“I didn’t make this one,” Dilly said of the card in her left hand. Lauren Vernon, the mom of one of Reese’s friends, then asked, “But you made some cards, right?
“Yeah, I made the hand cards,” Reese replied. “I just made some for the adults who live here.”
The LCA preschoolers returned to Sayre Christian Village for the second straight year to pass out the valentines to the eager seniors.
“It's really sweet to see all of these younger generations come and show love to just people who may not get it on a day to day basis but deserve it for sure,” Vernon said. “They're so sweet.”
Vernon then asked Reese if she had fun. Reese gave a shy nod in agreement.
Throughout the event, it felt like both the kids and the residents showed an equal amount of joy, as smiles abounded.
Karen Venis, CEO of Sayre Christian Village, noticed relationships between the kids and the seniors forming and lasting beyond just the two Valentine's Day events.
“We've got some kids that they'd rather come here than go to the park, because they love spending time with the older adults,” Venis said. “The relationships and the bonds that they form, I can't explain how valuable they are to both parties, it's just fun to watch.”
One resident, Gloria Roney, didn’t stop smiling as she talked about meeting the kids.
“It's such a joy to see the children, and you know, and to participate in this way. We look forward to it every year.”
While the residents are receiving these Valentines, they also hope to give a little in the form of teaching the students how to love others, old and young.
“I think that's so important to teach that to the children, of faith, hope, and love,” Roney said. “We always have hope. You know, hope for tomorrow. But we always have joy every morning because you might have a bad day, but the next morning you're going to have joy.”
As newfound friends wished a happy Valentine’s Day to one another, the multi-generational exchange serves and important reminder that people of all ages can still learn a little about loving one another.
