By Ann Burnside Love
My friend Marjorie and I, during the same month, signed onto
the waiting list for the retirement community I now live in, two and a half years
before our names came up on the list for our apartments. When I got the call
that a residence was reserved for me, I was definitely ready. I’d made my
choice. My children had been concerned about me after some health issues, though
I still considered myself independent. So I was stunned to discover that my
friend had no intention of moving. Ever. She truly caught me off guard when she
said: “I’m not leaving this house until I’m carried out feet first.”
Many people expect they will be independent all their lives,
“doing for themselves” forever. And some do. Others expect their families to
take care of them, also forever. Many people during their early years as a
senior are in good health and having a fine time doing things they’ve always
looked forward to doing. And that may work immediately after retirement, and
for a few years afterward; some seniors expect that to last perpetually.
