By Laura Hipshire
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE
Virginia Foote says she’s discovered her own personal fountain of youth.
What’s her secret? Foote says ever since she moved to Henry Ford Village with her sister, Bernice, almost ten years ago from their home in Sterling Heights, she’s felt younger.
"I’m very happy here. We’re both single and have a lovely apartment home overlooking the ponds," Foote says.
Before moving to Henry Ford Village, Foote says she and her sister looked at numerous other retirement communities in the area.
"Nothing compared to Henry Ford Village," she says.
Involvement a priority for Foote
"There’s so much to do here rather than sit in a house and worry about the upkeep, inside and out. When you have a house, you either have to do things yourself or hire outside help for things like grass cutting and snow removal," she says.
Now, Foote says she has more time to do things she likes as opposed to worrying about the constant upkeep of a house. As a result, she’s involved in several groups on campus.
For one, she’s a Birthday Angel. "We deliver birthday cards to each resident on their birthday." She also belongs to the Library Committee. "I love all the wonderful books we have," she says.
Her other activities include chapel services, exercising in the fitness and aquatics centers, line dancing, and traveling with friends from the community.
She says she’s made a lot of friends there, many more than she made when she lived in her house.
"You can’t just go out and mingle there [her former home] like you do here. You can find somebody who likes to do the same things you do all the time, every day," she says.
Experts: think positive, live longer
Foote’s lifestyle and positive attitude make her feel younger, and experts believe she’s on the right track.