It’s not just activities, it’s life.

“It’s not just activities, it’s life.” This is a quote that I have had on my email for the last 19 years here at The Cedars. But what does that mean? Some of you might be pondering that. It’s not the normal quote you have seen or heard of, but in the activity world, it means everything. But let me first introduce why I started in this amazing field of recreation and wellness.

My name is Cathy Ehley. I have worked here at The Cedars for the last 19 years. Some individuals, when they meet me, ask if I had started as a child due to my appearance. I joke around with them and tell them, yes, I started as an infant. That gets the ball rolling about how I got started.

Many of you may not know, but when I was 13 years old, I was diagnosed with scoliosis. When I was 18 years old I had back surgery at Shriner’s Children’s Hospital in St. Paul, MN. They put two metal rods in my back from the top of my shoulders to the bottom of my hips. Sounds painful, right? But if I didn’t have this experience in my life, I wouldn’t be sitting here today telling you how I got into this field. At Shriner’s, they had a Therapeutic Recreational Therapist. I spent hours with them, trying to distract myself from the pain I was feeling after surgery. They made my days feel brighter with their leisure activities.

Let’s jump to 2000. I was getting ready to go to college and didn’t know what I wanted to go into. I jumped around to different ideas: physical therapist, radiologist technician, etc. Nothing at that time suited my needs. Then, my mom asked me a simple question. “Do you remember the Recreational Therapist at Shriner’s?” The light clicked, and I just knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to become a Therapeutic Recreational Therapist working with children. As I was unaware of my future, behold, I would end up working with the opposite generation.

I went to the University of Iowa, Go Hawks, to conquer my goal. I went into the field of Therapeutic Recreation. I graduated in 2004 still thinking I would work with children. I did all my volunteer clinical hours with children, but in one of my classes, I had to do a case study with geriatrics. I got my foot wet, as they said. Then, it was time to do an internship. In the fall of 2003, I married my high school sweetheart, and he swept me away to Austin, MN—an Iowa girl living in Minnesota. I didn’t think my career dreams would come true, but they did in the end.

I did my internship at a nursing home in Albert Lea, MN. I mainly was in their Angel’s Wing. That was their memory care. And guess what? I loved it and have not turned back since. I love working with that generation, but I also wanted to work with those a little younger, as they say. Ha! That is when a colleague told me about the ad for the Activity Director at The Cedars of Austin. I went for three interviews and got the job. I remember my first day. I accidentally nicked the car in front of me when I was parking my car. I think I had the jitters. Right after college, I started my first job here, and 19 years later, I haven’t looked back. You could call me a lifer!

So, in my quote, I have at the end of my emails, “It’s not just activities, it’s life,” is so meaningful in every way. As activity professionals or recreational therapists, we make their quality of life much more meaningful. We are the life for them, and we will never let that change.

– Cathy Ehley