By Laurie Whittier
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

At 68, Jim and Virginia Murphy are the epitome of health and vitality—which is exactly why they wanted to move to Wind Crest sooner rather than later.

“We didn’t see any reason to wait,” Jim Murphy says. “We’re getting a better value by enjoying everything Wind Crest has to offer now.”

The Murphys moved to Wind Crest from a 5,000-square-foot home with five bathrooms. “I was always cleaning something,” says Virginia Murphy. The house served its purpose while they were raising their kids. But as the years went by, they say, “It just wasn’t fun anymore.

Times had changed
Over the years the neighborhood got progressively younger, and the Murphys began to feel out of place. “Whenever it snowed, they’d all come over and shovel, which made us feel old,” Jim Murphy says.

“At Wind Crest we don’t have to worry about trying to fit in—and there’s no more yard work,” he says. “We’re absolutely loving this new phase in our lives,” she adds.

Occasionally the Murphys run into acquaintances who say they’re “not ready” for a retirement community. Jim Murphy suspects that some people simply don’t like to admit they’re getting older. Virginia Murphy thinks others hesitate because they assume all retirement communities have a “nursing home” feel.

“Wind Crest isn’t like that at all,” she says. “There’s always something going on here.”

Friends are always there
Jim Murphy believes that many people who resist letting go of their homes might be missing out.

“Some people think they’re living a full life when in reality they may be isolating themselves and wasting time and money on home maintenance,” he says. “The all-day, every-day exposure at Wind Crest brings you out of a shell you didn’t even realize you were in and makes it easy to enjoy others with similar interests.”