August 30, 2024
Reverend Lindsey Eklund is an ordained Pastor (Elder) in the United Methodist Church. At Bayview, Lindsey serves as the Director Spiritual Care, advocating and encouraging the spiritual care and emotional well-being for the community. Lindsey’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies from William Smith College and a Masters of Divinity from Duke University. In March of 2024, she opened her first small business as a Kindermusik educator and offers classes in music and movement for children and their caregivers when she is not serving as Chaplain at Bayview.
Tell us more about your role
A Director of Spiritual Care plays a crucial role in providing holistic support to individuals on their spiritual journeys. Spiritual care embraces a holistic approach to care, attending to an individual’s beliefs, values, behaviors and experiences related to spirituality, religion, and culture. It is my job to inspire hope, empower healing, provide support, and make space for meaningful change in an all-inclusive atmosphere.
Here are some questions I like to ask as I get to know people in real ways:
1. What makes you wake up in the morning?
2. What are the values that have shaped you over your life span and now inform life in
3. your retirement years?
4. What matters the most to you at this stage of your life?
5. What gives you inner peace?
6. What worries you?
What led you to Bayview?
God, prayer and introspection about my career and family life. I discovered the job posting on Indeed, submitted an application and resume, received an invitation to multiple interviews and an opportunity to ‘meet and greet’ residents, and then lots of patience waiting for a decision. It took some time for Bayview to discern who would take this role and I know that there were very capable, qualified, and called applicants in line to do the work.
I am very grateful to work here! I absolutely love the privilege to serve Bayview in this capacity and believe I was made to do this for such a time as this.
What is one thing people may not know about you?
I once spent a summer handling inventory for a container ship carrying supplies to eastern Europe. I literally counted potatoes, chicken, and hot dogs that were packaged on pallets before they were lifted by crane into the hull of a ship for transport. I made some great friendships that summer as I chatted with people I most likely would never have known in any other context. Many of these new friends were immigrants so they practiced their English with me and shared stories of how they came to live in the United States. I taught them the slang terminology and listened a lot. But, my whole job was counting and I am NOT really a numbers person. I kept losing count and having to restart. So not only was I slow, I was most likely not accurate. I’m pretty sure their inventory data was a disaster thanks to me, but I had a pretty great experience with the people I met and hope they enjoyed their work days because of that time as well.
Our story begins in 1961 with early Seattleite Charles A. Kinnear who bequeathed his family’s historic property to the First United Methodist Church for the care of older adults or children. Today, Bayview maintains its affiliations with the Methodist Church while fully embracing residents from many different backgrounds and faith. Can you speak to a common misconception that people may feel constricted, constrained, or directed by a religious agenda?
Bayview is unique in having a Director of Spiritual Care/Chaplain on staff. Many life plan communities do not have this benefit. My personal faith expression is protestant Christian and my ordination is held with the United Methodist church, but my exposure to faith traditions around the world is also pretty vast. There is zero pressure or obligation for any resident to engage in the spiritual aspects of the Bayview community. However, there are a plethora of opportunities to explore, question, connect, and grow in spiritual maturity if it is of interest. As we age, questions and concerns arise. We are more than just our physical health. We all have distinct needs, perceptions, personalities, and life histories. Some people see aging itself as a spiritual journey, whereas others turn to spiritual development as a way to find more richness, meaning, inner strength, or comfort in their lives as they reflect on the past and think about what’s still to come.
Aging tends to deepen a person’s longing for the very things that a spiritual life can provide—things like a sense of comfort, meaning, purpose, and connection. For many people, the spiritual aspect of their personhood has been pushed aside throughout their lives as the demands and expectations of professional and family life have taken the precious hours and weeks over the years. The retirement stage of life often comes with big changes to our daily activities, the roles we play, and the way we see ourselves. Although it is often an exciting and fulfilling time, it can also feel unfamiliar. That’s particularly true for people who retire from full-time careers or who no longer spend the bulk of their time raising or supporting a family. As we age, we can learn that exploring our spiritual wellbeing is a way to renew our outlook on life, become more attuned to our place in the world, and benefit from the potentially restorative nature of life-affirming spiritual practices.
In short, having faith or a feeling of interconnectedness can make a person’s heart sing. I consider it an honor to come alongside our residents as they share their unique stories, their hopes, fears, and struggles. That’s something everyone deserves to have in their life regardless of faith background, affiliation, or lack thereof.
