Change

The only constants in this life are death and taxes. To these I would add change, or more specifically, downsizing. I see it all around me. Friends are moving from a large house on the Chesapeake Bay to a townhouse in Virginia. Others have fled a townhouse and settled in a retirement community or a condo. As for us, a move to a retirement community is the plan, but not for three years. In the meantime I'm taking in what it means. On the plus side it means greater safety (no stairs, built in medical services, less worry and upkeep of a home) and less worry for ones children (Mom and Dad are taken care of now.) Another big benefit is that it will ease my worry about becoming isolated as we age. Instead, we will have a whole new group of friends and a laundry list of activities to keep us alert and social. The downside? The thought of leaving the home where I've lived for 40 years is unnerving. Am I the house? Is the house me? What about all the friends and relatives who have sat around our dining room table or gathered for our Christmas Eve open house? What about memories of my husband who died there 22 years ago? What about my children, now in their 40's, who grew up there? Will they feel less grounded? Ach! Well, at least I have three years to think about it, to absorb the reality, and hopefully to see it as a new adventure.