A Chosen Family

Friends getting together for Monthly dinners

Sometimes you don't have to look very far to find friends in a community, with similar interests who become 'family' and even those whose only connection is that specific friend of your friend. So many of us are tucked away here in the countryside where we choose to live out our lives; we have grown children with families of their own, relatives too far away to see very often, and if we have ailments, as many of us do, we cannot be out and about too often. Sometimes loneliness and even bouts of depression can enter on velvet feet. We keep each others' spirits up, rally around one another during various trials, foster friendships with dinners, movies and music outings... and are a quick help, if need be. We support each other in several ways; we don't judge and we all accept who we have become in this later life, just as they are. If someone needs to share their story, we are here to listen and not divulge confidences. We all become a special kind of family! A Chosen family.

We are a praying couple... so we had prayed for senior friends to come into our lives almost five years ago. Commuting for decades and then retiring suddenly had left us with only a couple of people we knew and their young lives were too busy to always include us; our own families were busy raising their children, or involved in multiple school activities, besides living in other cities. So we prayed for friends, why not... and that is exactly what happened, new friends! We now have several people in our lives, some seniors, some friends of seniors, those approaching and young un's also, all who help to enrich our lives--a community of kind and generous people with whom we have much in common.

At almost every event, we meet new people... and some even become part of our growing circle... a good and fun thing! Growing old is inevitable but growing old alone is not an option, if you so choose. Some do prefer being alone. At times, we all do. We have raised families and have had numerous life experiences... now, we share the love and excitement for the thriving and beautiful life that we still have... only on a slower basis!

Midnight texts and sharing are alive and well! The Gutter Gang as three of our most lovable guys have been named, help other friends with their home gutters each year, clearing them before the big rains come. Just friends helping friends, exactly as community was meant to be! The ladies get a chance for private conversations and then together we all enjoy a feast prepared by our host. I just love this kind of family! On other days, we get together for Dinner & A Movie at our home--delightful times to enjoy a shared meal which we all contribute to, to converse in happy conversations and finally to relax and watch a Netflix Movie on Mr. Big, our big TV (a retirement gift to myself).

We so look forward to these times with friends, to music and wine events where we all enjoy being together with talented, music friends, and also chatting on Messenger or texting each other at 1am or so in the mornings as often some of us do! We enjoy going to wineries or clubs where our musician friends play, and at other fun events like Open Mic's. We are happy with our good friends in this wonderful place we call home, in gold country. We enjoy visiting our families in Sacramento, seeing them often as we can. We also love visiting our friends who live among the forests upcountry or having them drop in for little visits. It's a very good life! We are blessed beyond measure!

Life is short... there's No Room for Anything but Love!