BEING. BELIEVING. BELONGING.

By Jo Strausz Rosen

After meeting late in life through an online dating site, then falling head over heels in love with each other, Jane and Arthur decided it was time to take the next step in their relationship. As much as they both loved the beautiful home they had shared for the past 20 years, it was getting more and more difficult for these eighty-five-year-old homeowners to muster up the energy it took to care for their property.

Jane always enjoyed hosting family events in their spacious home and garden. Even though Arthur always assisted with these events, the shopping, preparation, set up, cooking and cleanup had become too much work and the toll it took on her afterwards left her exhausted. As for Arthur, he began hiring people to cut their lawn although he still appreciated puttering in the garden, his pride and joy.

The decision to move into Meer Apartments was something they discussed for more than a year. Both experienced some significant health changes in their lives as they matured and found themselves ready to lighten their loads and consider making their lives easier for each other and for their children who worried about them.  Their love provided a true sense of belonging to each other and to the wider community, and they both enjoyed the thought of giving back in a way that would lead to a legacy of good. After looking around to see what kind of living circumstances they might enjoy, they discovered JSL, which offered so many opportunities for their own self-expression. They knew they wanted to remain near their families and thought about the multi-generational experiences that everyone could enjoy at JSL.

Arthur had three children from his first marriage. Jane had two children and four grandchildren. Once they began to anticipate a lighter load, they pared down their collected belongings, offered them to family and friends or sold things they no longer needed in an estate sale. They felt lighter and excited to move forward. Selling their home yielded them significant financial gain. The memories of family gatherings in the old house would always be a source of pleasure. Their families agreed that moving to Meer Apartments at Jewish Senior Life in West Bloomfield could be a new beginning for their entire family.

Arthur, the kind, funny, handsome and accomplished attorney was now strongly motivated to be the best he could be at this time in his life to prove to himself and his children and his wife, that he could be bolder and reveal another side of himself after retirement. An avid reader with many interests, including architecture and politics, he enjoyed the stimulating current events lectures, appreciated Torah study and joined the men’s club, making new friends along the way. He and Jane worked out on the many walking paths and in the fitness centers in their buildings, which they shared with neighbors and friends. Jane, creative and artistic began to attend classes with Arthur in Torah and continued to study and paint with new art instructors at JSL. Both were engaged in being their best and learning something new every day. They continued their volunteer work and made plans to dine with many new residents. These lively dinners brought them joy and gave them new opportunities to socialize.

Belonging to this warm and welcoming community offered Arthur and Jane peace of mind and a comfortable lifestyle, living independently with others and enjoying their lives without the hassles of being homeowners.

Belonging to this community and to each other brought them joy and simplicity and it was evident to their friends and family how much they were thriving at Meer Apartments.

Jane and Arthur believed in the change they made and were pleasantly surprised at how well they slept at night. They continued driving but gave away one of their cars to their grandson. They were happy.  They celebrated everything together including all the simchas of their grandchildren and became advocates for older adults who needed guidance in their decisions to join a retirement community.

Are you considering rightsizing and making the move to our beautiful community? Would you like to meet others who have made the move? Speak with Tracey Proghovnick, Director of Residential Marketing and Community Relations at Jewish Senior Life.  248-592-5048 tproghovnick@jslmi.org.

Shabbat Shalom.