Friends – the greatest treasure of all

During the second half of life, connecting with others takes on new meaning in living a fulfilling life and friendships are the greatest treasure of all.

In the 1950s, Dottie White, Janice Reed and Donna Pipenhagen, were young mothers in the same Glen Ellyn subdivision. Their lives became intertwined as their families grew, but little did they know that half a century later, they would all call the Wyndemere Senior Living Campus home.

Donna was the first to come to Wyndemere about ten years ago. “My husband had Parkinson’s disease before he passed away and we searched for two years to find a place that we thought would be a good fit,” said Donna. “Wyndemere helped meet our needs as they arose.”

Janice and Dottie lost their husbands within two months of each other. “After I had been a widow for five years, I was tired of maintaining our home. There was always something to fix or repair,” said Janice. “Because of all the people I already knew at Wyndemere, I never considered moving anywhere else. There’s nothing like long-term friendships; it’s like family.”

Dottie moved into her apartment home at Wyndemere the week before Janice in 2007. But they share more than just being neighbors again; they’re continuing a love of travel that they enjoyed with their husbands.

“We took trips together as couples to Hawaii and even to China with the Reeds and now Jan and I travel annually to Maui,” said Dottie. “We’ve also visited South Carolina and Texas and traveled locally as well. We have shared similar interests for many years. You don’t leave your past behind. It’s unbelievably wonderful to have a friendship like ours.”

“We started out as young marrieds and now we’re widows together 50 years later,” added Janice.

“People think of us as a ‘combo’ now that Janice and Dottie also live at Wyndemere,” said Donna. “I would do anything for them and vice versa. As you age, friendships become even more important.”