Lin, at 67 you are still young enough to have a good portion of your life ahead of you, maybe 20 or 30 years! We moved across the country to be near our son, and were very happy we did it, although we were leaving a house and a community that we dearly loved. But my husband's health was failing, and like you, I knew it would be very difficult for me to stay out there on my own.
I have lived in a 55+ retirement community for 10 years. My husband has been gone for a good while now, and I am so glad we made the move. I have a great supportive network of friends, and all sorts of activities. You don't have to be rich to live here. Communities like ours are popping up all over the country. Some are for independent living, others offer "continuing care" on different levels.
I write for our community newspaper, and once, out of curiosity, I went around like an inquiring reporter asking people what was their main reason for moving here. It turned out the #1 reason was to be near one of their children. The #2 reason was that they were sick of home maintenance and lawn care. There were other reasons, but those two were the big ones. No one expressed regret that they had made the move.
I do know that some spouses, like your husband, resisted the idea at first, but afterwards were glad they had done it. I've come to realize that as we move through life, our priorities change. Once, scenery and natural beauty were very important to me. As I've gotten older, other things have become more important.
Good luck in finding your own path out of your dilemma. It's not as unusual a dilemma as you think, you have plenty of company. Many people have found solutions. The advice you have gotten here is good. (And BTW, walking does not require a treadmill. Try just walking a short distance every day, gradually getting longer and longer!)
I have lived in a 55+ retirement community for 10 years. My husband has been gone for a good while now, and I am so glad we made the move. I have a great supportive network of friends, and all sorts of activities. You don't have to be rich to live here. Communities like ours are popping up all over the country. Some are for independent living, others offer "continuing care" on different levels.
I write for our community newspaper, and once, out of curiosity, I went around like an inquiring reporter asking people what was their main reason for moving here. It turned out the #1 reason was to be near one of their children. The #2 reason was that they were sick of home maintenance and lawn care. There were other reasons, but those two were the big ones. No one expressed regret that they had made the move.
I do know that some spouses, like your husband, resisted the idea at first, but afterwards were glad they had done it. I've come to realize that as we move through life, our priorities change. Once, scenery and natural beauty were very important to me. As I've gotten older, other things have become more important.
Good luck in finding your own path out of your dilemma. It's not as unusual a dilemma as you think, you have plenty of company. Many people have found solutions. The advice you have gotten here is good. (And BTW, walking does not require a treadmill. Try just walking a short distance every day, gradually getting longer and longer!)
