Written by Scott Miller
Time is a funny thing. On one hand, we never seem to have enough of it. On the other, it often seems like we have forever when we really don’t. Let me tell you what I mean.
Think of all the things you love to do: being with the people you love, pursuing a sport or a hobby, doing service — whatever gives your life meaning. I bet you wish you could spend more time doing them, or exploring new possibilities, but mundane chores and responsibilities like taking care of the house and property get in the way. A recent research study written up in the Washington Post found that when it comes to money buying happiness, the “biggest bang for the buck” comes when people pay for services that save them time.
The findings come as no surprise to anyone who lives at Garden Spot Village. People here will tell you that, no matter how great their life may have been before, moving to Garden Spot Village has given them greater freedom to live with purpose in community in ways they might never have imagined. So much is at their doorstep — and they have more hours in the day to explore social, cultural, recreational, educational and spiritual opportunities. The other thing they will tell you is, “Move here sooner, rather than later.” Which brings me to my second point….
These days, a lot of people are moving to Garden Spot Village as soon as they are eligible — in their early 60s. Still, I often talk to visitors who say love the community, its amenities and opportunities, and they’d like to live here “someday.” For whatever reason, they don’t have a plan, or they might have a plan, but the timeline is fuzzy. Many feel like they “not old enough.” Problem is, “old enough” can sneak up on us sooner than we expected. At that point, making a move becomes more challenging, and the options we had hoped for might not be available.
To quote Glenn Ruffenach in the Wall Street Journal, “At the risk of stating the obvious, time is something we’re running out of as we age. And yet, many of us act as if the opposite were true.” When we hesitate to change our living arrangements sooner rather than later, it can backfire on us, he writes. And I’d add this: While we’re dragging our feet, we’re still mowing the lawn, shoveling snow, doing maintenance and repairs that eat into the time we could spend more meaningfully. Knowing that the time God grants us here is finite, why not make the most of every moment? As the old saying goes, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” Why not give yourself the gift of time?
John and Paulette Moore, pictured above, recently moved into Sycamore Springs. To read about their decision to move sooner rather than later, read the article that profiles them in Destination Magazine.