Finding Where You Belong
It seems like just yesterday that Rich Hutchison was “absolutely against” moving from his longtime home in Annapolis to a retirement community. His wife June, however, saw the advantages and she persisted in suggesting such a move, backed by a chorus of good friends who had already made the jump. Slowly, Rich, a retired US Army Officer, started warming up to the idea and he began a spreadsheet comparing the merits of over 80 Continuing Care Retirement Communities, scattered all over the country.
While attending June’s high school reunion in southwestern Pa., the Hutchisons chatted informally with Harold Grimm, a traveling CKV villager who happened to be there too. What they heard about our community intrigued Rich and June (and that in spite of the fact that CKV hadn’t made the initial spreadsheet).
Rich and June visited CKV for the first time unannounced, as so many people do, and the day they visited happened to be the Annual Chicken BBQ! As luck would have it, they bumped into Harold Grimm who took them under his wing and gave them an individualized Grand Tour of the community. Back home, Rich and June studied the CKV marketing material carefully, decided that we were the “right place” and joined the wait list for a few years, eventually moving to Cross Keys in July 2022. By then, unfortunately, Harold Grimm had died but his widow Pat confirms: “he was always recommending this place. I even got notes after he passed, from people he had encouraged with their decision.”
A health setback shortly after moving prevented Rich and June from enjoying most community activities during their first months at CKV. But even during this trying time, the couple made strong connections and true friends. June, who holds a PhD. in Pastoral Counseling, especially connected with their designated mentor, Leah Peters, during a get-to-know-you meeting that stretched over two-and-a-half hours (Mentors are villager volunteer who help welcome new villagers in a particular neighborhood to the community and orient them to all things CKV). “The people here have been a gift to us,” says June. Being new to the community yet temporarily distant due to illness could have made anyone feel isolated, but the reverse happened: “We are in a great community where people look out for us. There’s an overall sense of welcome. I wish we could thank everyone for the hospitality, and most of all for the prayers.”
Rich and June have discovered that their neighbors are people with a wide range of life experiences, representing various groups and opinions… yet all a delight to get to know better. There’s a sense of acceptance here that continues to surprise them daily. Rich shares: “The diversity is great, and there’s unity within this diversity around campus, allowing for wonderful conversations.”
After a year, Rich’s health is better and the couple plans to get progressively more involved. The man who was once dead-set against moving to such a community claims, “my only regret is that we had to wait so long to integrate fully.” Rich plans to volunteer as well as support the Foundation in any way he can. “I’m developing a sense of obligation to this community,” he says. “I’m rather hard-headed, but I have a desire to contribute here.” As for June, she’s open to everything but is leaving it up to God. She’s interested in the theater group to “see what silliness can happen there.”
“There’s a certain neighborliness at CKV that works very well. You can’t really see that in a brochure or a website, so I didn’t realize the extent of it until we moved here and lived in it,” says Rich. “We love it here.”