On June 15, I moved from a rambling old house in rural Vermont to a Continuing Life Care Community in Shelburne, just south of Burlington on the other side of the state. There’s an old adage in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom that, “The nice thing about Burlington is it’s so close to Vermont.” I was uprooted and replanted in one long, warm, rainy day.
I was greeted with handshakes, hugs, dinner invitations, doggy wags, cards, and care packages. It will be a while before I learn all Wake Robin’s rules, but I am especially grateful for one of them: wear your name tag in public spaces!
In the first week, I met more people than I’ve seen in the last ten years! Everyone is gracious and understands the overwhelm of moving: the new surroundings, unpacking the boxes, fitting the familiar in small spaces, and remembering the rules. I’m not sure which is the most daunting: figuring out how things work—or don’t work--in my cottage or picking up the rhythm of the common dining room at dinner. I quickly learned that questions are welcomed by staff and other residents.
There are some miracle workers on staff here. I’m getting to know the maintenance department. They fixed my leaky kitchen sink in two trips on the same day—and hung mirrors in both bathrooms while they were here. When my air conditioning didn’t work in hot weather, five men came to fix it. They arrived 10 minutes after I called and had it figured out in an hour. When I complimented them to the woman at the front desk at dinnertime, she sent an email to their supervisor forwarding my gratitude and then sent me a personal, handwritten card of gratitude with a poem enclosed. It’s nice to live in a circle of gratitude.
The residents who have reached out are all amazing, interesting people. Some nearby neighbors had been told that I was coming, and others met me in passing. “Do you need anything?” “Can I answer any questions?” “Would you like to have dinner on Monday?” Wake Robin touts itself as “resident driven.” They walk their talk.
I knew when I arrived that some old friends live here, and I am running into more. I had dinner one night with a woman I haven’t seen for 40 years! I see her frequently now doing favors for friends—just as I remember her, although our paths diverged dramatically for so many years.
Today is hazy, hot, and humid. I am cool as a cucumber. I had my hug for the day and am basking in the warm welcome.