"DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm a 75-year-old woman who has lived in the same charming walk-up apartment in New York City for more than 40 years. This place has seen me through marriage, motherhood, widowhood and every season of my life. Recently, the three flights of stairs have become almost impossible for me to manage. My knees ache, I get winded easily, and I find myself dreading leaving the apartment because I know I'll have to climb back up."
"When my mother was about to move out of our family home where she had lived for more than 30 years, she told us that wherever she went was where home was. I've never forgotten that concept. As hard as it may be to leave the familiar, trust that you can bring home with you your spirit, your thoughtfulness, yourself."
A 75-year-old woman who has lived in the same walk-up apartment for over 40 years faces increasing difficulty climbing three flights of stairs due to aching knees and breathlessness. Medical advice recommends housing with an elevator or moving closer to family, but strong emotional attachment to neighborhood, friends and routines makes leaving painful. The situation poses safety risks after trips on the stairs and growing dread of leaving home. A perspective offered reframes home as wherever one carries spirit and thoughtfulness, and urges finding safer, accessible housing promptly while rebuilding community there.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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