Former Coworkers Meet Again 50 Years Later at Linden Ponds

Meeting new people and making friends are just two of the many reasons why retirees decide to move to Linden Ponds, the Erickson Senior Living community in Hingham, Mass. 

"At Linden Ponds, I've found that making friends opens the door to meeting other like-minded people," says Nancy Bryant, who moved to the community last April. "It's one of the really nice parts about living here. There are lots of opportunities to meet new neighbors, as people are continually moving in." 

As an avid traveler with a keen sense of adventure, Nancy met with Alex Cavanaugh, Linden Ponds' special trips coordinator, shortly after her move to learn more about the off-site trips she could enjoy with her new neighbors.

Little did Nancy know, that by chatting with Cavanaugh, she would reunite with a former friend and colleague she hadn't seen in nearly fifty years!

"When I popped into Alex's office to ask a question about the off-site trips, she said, 'I know someone you should meet,' and recommended I reach out to another resident, Anne Sisson," recalls Nancy. 

She continues, "When I called Anne, she suggested meeting for lunch at the pub and told me that I'd find her because of her reddish blonde hair. I thought, 'Oh! I once knew someone with that name and hair color.'"

Nancy's name rang a bell for Anne too. "I had asked Alex if she knew of any single women who enjoy traveling," recalls Anne. "She told me that she knew someone who reminded her so much of me and my love of adventure. When she said the woman's name was Nancy Bryant, I remembered I had worked with an emergency room nurse with the same name in the '70s."

What followed was a five-hour lunch and the wonderful beginning of a renewed friendship.

Reconnecting and reminiscing

Nancy and Anne both worked as emergency room nurses at Malden Hospital in Boston, Mass.

"We spent the entire lunch reminiscing about our time as nurses," says Anne. "Eventually, we both moved on in search of new opportunities in nursing. I'm grateful for the profession that originally brought us together--and for Linden Ponds, where like-minded people have a way of finding each other."

They also discussed the different paths that led them to Linden Ponds.

 A plan for the future

"I lived in Boston for 32 years and absolutely loved it," says Nancy. "I could walk everywhere or take public transportation. Although I'm quite healthy, I knew I needed to look ahead and consider where I wanted to live in the future. I decided to look at Linden Ponds because I have family on the South Shore. It was important to me to be close to them. And I knew I only wanted to move once!"

Like Nancy, Anne and her husband Charlie were looking for a retirement community where they only had to move once. 

"We knew that we wanted to put down roots and then grow into that life. We realized that we were aging, but not aged," says Anne. 

"We lived on Cape Cod, traveling to Florida seasonally to escape the winter, but we wanted to move closer to Boston. We did a lot of research and discovered that Linden Ponds offered exactly what we were looking for." 

An expanding circle of friends

Since settling into their apartment homes, Nancy and Anne have planned activities together, gone on many trips, and expanded their circle of friends. 

Anne was also eager to introduce Nancy to Charlie. "I felt it was important for her to become a part of both our lives, not just mine," says Anne. 

"It was really a snowball effect--introducing each other to all our other friends," says Anne. "Easily connecting with new people is one of the great features of Linden Ponds."

Nancy agrees. "It's important to be open to meeting new people! When Alex gave me Anne's name, if I hadn't reached out, we may have never reunited. You have to be willing to take a chance and make the phone call."

Although they love connecting with different neighbors, their friendship is one of a kind. 

"We are girlfriends for life. We've really bonded," says Anne. "I'm so happy we found each other. We've each met a lot of people, but this is special."

Adventuring together

As their friendship grows, the women take full advantage of Linden Ponds' convenient, central location. 

"I can't say enough about the community's location. It's the best of both worlds!" says Nancy. "We can take the commuter rail or ferry to go to Boston easily. When I was looking at senior living communities, I found many to be very remote. At Linden Ponds, there is so much activity just five minutes away."

To learn more about senior living at Linden Ponds, request your free brochure to get the scoop on amenities, floor plans, and so much more.