Falling Into Place: A Vista Poem
By Arlene Max, a Vista resident
If you have ever worked on a jigsaw puzzle, one with a thousand pieces,
You will understand how very important the concept of falling into place is,
There’s nothing haphazard or random; it requires concentration.
Every piece must be a perfect fit, essential to its completion.
Life may seem like a puzzle at times, with so many pieces and choices to make,
Only God knows what our ultimate picture will be; we start with what we’re given
and choose what steps we’ll take.
We rejoice when the pieces all fall into place,
Finding love or success in situations we face.
Perfection, however, is not our birthright, and we may fail before we win,
But we persevere, seeking guidance from loved ones or in prayer, and we find hidden strength within.
Each one has a story of triumph and tears,
Of prayers answered quickly or of waiting for years,
In my case with my parents, healthy into their 90s,
I still felt more like a child than a senior citizen,
but they made an impression on me: “Simplify and enjoy your later years” is what I learned from them.
It was clear that our home was too big to keep up, with too many stairs to climb down,
But the kind of home we sought just didn’t exist near our kids and beloved hometown.
We were healthy enough to be patient and wait, but before long the answer was clear,
a postcard arrived describing The Vista, a complex not yet built but ideal for our needs and quite near!
So back to the puzzle and pieces that fit,
We thought it might be wise to get to Wyckoff and take a look at it,
We checked out the location, just woods but serene,
Studied the concept and model and realized it was just as we had dreamed.
Fast forward four years, filled with patience, anticipation, cathartic downsizing, and a doubt or two,
Was this really the right thing for us to do?
The doubt was brief and normal I was told,
With a move like this, so big and so bold.
After 50 years of maintaining a house, good marriage, and family, so blessed,
It was surely time to make new friends and have some fun and a well-deserved rest.
It took courage, planning, some faith, and hard work, but we both fell in love with our gleaming new space.
What we couldn’t have foreseen: the staff, great meals, activities, and amazing congeniality among residents were all the pieces
just falling into place.
Learn More About Life at The Vista
The ideal time to move to a CCRC is while you are independent but want the convenience, socialization, and security of a life care community. If you are interested in learning more about what The Vista, Bergen County’s premier CCRC, can offer you, please call (201) 548-3557 or fill out our fast and easy form.