Local care worker reflects on joys of her job

National Smile Day was created at Compassionate Dental Care in Lake in the Hills, Illinois by Dr. Tim Stirneman and Jim Wojdyla. They began the celebration to spread awareness of oral health. It also recognises the power a smile has. A smile is like a wave of a hand or a forehead temple salute, also known as a Midwestern wave. They are gestures that are not verbal. They are both used to let the person know that you know they are there.

Alissa Charlton works at the Western Homes Deery Suites. She said, “My friends make me smile and laugh because they’re always cracking jokes!”

Charlton finds joy, she said, “in my current career with the little things like when I can have long conversations with my residents and learn more about their lives. Something about my daily routine that makes me happy is opening up my Alani every morning.”

Charlton’s favorite thing about her job she said, “Is how it stays busy and constantly changing. There’s rarely a boring day.”

A time Charlton said she was proud of a peer was when, “my friend got a really good score on our last anatomy test. It was our hardest class and I’m really proud of how her studying paid off.”

Charlton’s perfect day, she said, “would be waking up at 9 a.m. somewhere tropical, then spending the day tanning, swimming and eating lots of good food.”

Charlton said her favorite way to reset “is to go on a long drive with my friends and listen to hype music. Music blasting and singing loud.”