For this observation mission, I chose to observe Doris. Doris is a seventy-six year old volunteer at the daycare where I work. I observed Doris for ten weeks and spoke with her several times. Doris lost her husband fourteen years ago after a short illness. The anniversary of his death is approaching just days before Thanksgiving. When we started talking about him, I noticed a change in Doris's attitude. She still mourns this loss. Her three children are grown and married and have children of their own. They all live far from her. Two daughters live in Colorado and one son lives in New Jersey. Doris recently had surgery on her arm and her two daughters came to help her during her recovery. According to Penick, “Adlerian theory with its emphasis on effort, purpose, and meaning could, on its own, offer useful perspectives on the needs and healthy development of older adults” (2004, p. 5). . She is very determined to be self-sufficient. smug and doesn't like to accept help from anyone else. She has neighbors who do their best to help her maintain her yard and perform basic maintenance on her home. Doris still lives in the house she shared with her husband. They had been married for thirty-five years before his death. As I watched her interact with the babies, I saw how much her volunteer work means to her. She comes every week. During this time, she will play with the babies, feed them and rock them. She started volunteering a few years after the death of her husband, outside of this voluntary framework; Doris does not regularly socialize with other people her age. The holidays are a difficult time for Doris, not only with the death of her husband, but also with her children...... middle of paper ...... 2013, p. 600) In order to continue serving as a grandparent and parent to an adult child, Doris overcame a fear of technology to remain active within her family. Works cited Ashford, J. and Lecroy, C. (2013). Human behavior in the social environment. (Fifth ed., p. 99, 600). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. Cappeliez, P. (2008). An explanation of reminiscence in older adults' dreams in terms of life goals and identity. Self and Identity, 7(1), 25-33. doi:10.1080/15298860600934281Li, Y. (2007). Recovering from the loss of a spouse later in life: does voluntary participation play a role?. Journals Of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 62B(4), S257-66Penick, JM (2004). Intentional aging: Teleological perspectives on the development of social interest in late adulthood. Journal of Individual Psychology, 60(3), 219-233.