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Barbara: Rightsizing and finding community

“I’ve always been involved in things. If I can help someone, I do.”

Barbara always liked to stay active, even in her youth when she was a competitive roller skater. While she has had various career experiences, much of her feeling of fulfillment is centered around helping people. “I enjoy people. There are all kinds of people with all kinds of stories so I enjoy talking to people. I guess I’ve always been outgoing.”

Barbara has two sons she adores, who are close in age, and the family spent a lot of time traveling in the US and overseas. “We were always involved in things,” Barbara remembers. “I was Parent Teacher Association (PTA) president, very active in the school and did a lot with the boys. It was fun days with the kids going here, there and everywhere. We were busy!”

Barbara remained busy into retirement from Geauga County Job and Family Services, where her role was focused on resources to welcome new participants. She was working at Notre Dame Schools and watched the progress as Jennings at Notre Dame Village was being built to learn more about it. She had been living in a mother-in-law suite with one of her sons and was attracted to the opportunity for more independence and amenities of the new campus.

Barbara stays active and enjoys walking among the serene Jennings at Notre Dame Village landscape. She finds purpose these days in welcoming new residents and learning what is unique about each person to make them feel special. “When we moved in, it was easy because the building was new, we were all new, and we all met everybody,” Barbara explains. “Now new residents come and they don’t know everyone, and it can be a hard time. I might invite them to lunch or to an activity so they can feel included.”

Barbara says she avoids big crowds because she favors more personal interactions, and she stays active with puzzles, crafts and reading. She stopped driving and uses transportation resources to continue enjoying some of the community amenities she enjoys. She says she learns something every day, from small everyday things to using the computer, sometimes fueling suggestions or connecting people to the community activities and amenities she experiences.

Barbara shares how important it is to keep going. “You say ‘not me’ when you’re younger,” Barbara explains. “We’re all getting older, and we’re not the same as we were a few years ago. But every day you can move, even just walk a little.”