Four mothers, once strangers, never imagined that the friendship of their children—which started back in adolescence—would one day unite them as newfound friends.
Barb, Chris, Peg and Loretta, all local to the same area, were ready to embrace the next chapter of their lives, separately as individuals. Each with their own unique story and background had decided that Lutheran Community at Telford (LCT), a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) located in Bucks County, PA, would be a welcoming and vibrant new place to call home. Tasked with the difficult decision of a move, they all found that LCT had a great deal to offer by way of a supportive environment, peace of mind and ample opportunities for social connection.
Of course, choosing the new, personalized space they would call home was important, with all its amenities and features; but a move is also an opportunity to build new friendships, share experiences and discover what life after retirement has to offer. They didn’t know each other back when they were raising their children but, as fate would have it, their paths crossed in this new chapter, where bonds were forged and a deep sense of camaraderie quickly blossomed.
While raising their children, each woman heard countless tales of the friendships their children formed, along with typical teenage antics. Barb, Chris, Peg and Loretta independently knew their own children’s circle of friends but not of the parents that had raised them.
As the years went by and their children grew, now with families of their own, they kept in touch. Every year, a picnic would be held to bring the friends back together. This is precisely where Barb, Chris, Peg and Loretta would finally meet for the first time, in the summer of 2022. Their children shared many different facets of their lives, as friends do, and had come to learn of the soon-to-be-revealed serendipitous circumstances as to how all their mothers had moved to LCT over the years. The children imagined, as adults, how wonderful it would be to bring them together, to introduce these women to one another and foster new connections between them.
Following this introduction that, for them, was a “chance encounter,” these four ladies with common threads have maintained their new friendships. Present day and for the past several years, Barb, Chris, Loretta and Peg gather once a month for breakfast, sharing stories of their children, sentimentally laughing and reminiscing about the past, with keen fondness. Additionally, they also bond over anecdotes of their individual endeavors and surrounding campus happenings. These shared experiences, laughter and love for life at Lutheran Community at Telford have further enhanced their already meaningful and fulfilling lives. Now, they often see one another around the community, partaking in various programs and encounters. Whether planned or happenstance, their paths cross frequently and in wonderful ways.
From what started decades ago as the strange coincidence of their own children’s friendships to a simple transition into a new retirement community, their story is one that we at Grace Inspired Living consider something truly special!
