In the know.

Sticking with the Plan

My wife and I had made a deposit on a two-bedroom apartment at MRC The Crossings Healthy Living Community a few years before it was completed.  It had been our intention of moving to a senior living facility that was faith-based, and The Crossings was ideal with all living levels.  Before my wife passed away in January of 2015, she had told me to move even when she was gone, because I would have a lot of friends and be in a long-term living situation.

Our Choice… Our Way

The primary reason we decided to make the move was to do the necessary downsizing ourselves and save our children having to do it someday.  When we made the move, they would not have to worry about what to do if one or both of us were gone or needed skilled care.  When the time came to make the decision whether to move by myself or not, I decided it was even more important to have the change made before it was time for me to be cared for and someone else having to make that decision.  Making the decision meant getting rid of a lot of possessions that had accumulated over 58 years of marriage.  “I am going to do it”, I said, “and it is the correct action.  Because the day will come that all I can take with me is what will fit on my lap in a wheelchair”.  Decision made – I didn’t look back and made the decision to move.

A ‘Little’ Help from the Experts

When the difficult part of the actual task of downsizing hit me, I was overwhelmed and uncertain what to do first.  Every time I would start, I got tied up looking at memoirs and things…not making much headway.  I contacted one of the downsizing experts that had been introduced to us by The Crossings Marketing Team about helping me with this process.  I contracted New Beginnings by Katherine Bellingham and she came in and took over the task with my help and this was a godsend!  She had done this many times and knew what was going to be needed, what furniture would work, what would not, and took care of everything.  She and her team came in and packed, arranged for movers, trash pick-up, notified the utility companies, and anything else that was needed.  When they were packing the moving van, I proceeded over to sign the closing documents at The Crossings.  I then went with the moving van to my three kids places to move in most of my furnishings that they had said they would like to keep.  By the time I returned to The Crossings that night around 6:00 pm, my furnishings were all in their place, the clothes were hung, and the dishes were in the cupboards along with a sign welcoming me to my new home.

Best Decision I Could Have Made

I congratulate myself that I made the best decision I could have made and have loved it now for what will be 5 years in August.  I am extremely happy that I made the move to MRC The Crossings.

By: Larry E. Bell, Resident of MRC The Crossings

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