There are moments in life when meeting someone can brighten your whole day—or even longer, if you are lucky. Your smile widens, your patience extends, and the air feels charged with newfound energy. It’s like putting on rose-colored glasses, but instead of feeling deceived, you’re seeing the world in all its beauty for the first time.
Words cannot adequately capture how fortunate I felt to meet Barbara Preble, a resident at Prairie City Landing. Ostensibly, she was going to fill me in about the fitness classes she takes. What I learned from Barbara went far beyond balance and strength, resistance bands, or Zumba.
Barbara moved to Prairie City Landing almost a year ago with her husband Ed from Mesa, Arizona, where she thrived in the heat. And I think maybe she absorbed more of the sun’s rays than most because meeting her feels like basking in the warmth of the sun itself.
Although they loved their lives in Mesa, Barbara and Ed decided it was time to return to California to be closer to their children, three in Northern California and one in Oregon. They moved in November, invested in a few new sweaters for the cooler weather, and never looked back.
“It took me three months to settle in,” Barbara told me, “But I came to know what my purpose is here: to spread joy and love and to remind all the precious angels here what a gift and a blessing they are.”
A fitness enthusiast, Barbara ensures she moves every day. She participates in multiple classes at the fitness studio, appreciating how instructors meet the participants at their individual levels. Barbara used to thrive on competition and has learned to set her ego aside and enjoy the movement.
Jason, the Fitness Director, makes that challenge easier. “He’s just a teddy bear,” Barbara says, noting how he balances the challenging exercises with lighthearted “dad jokes,” bringing a sense of humor to every class. “It’s just joyous,” she adds.
Barbara’s fitness routine extends beyond the classes to her favorite activity: bowling. After years of traditional bowling, she joined a Wii Bowling league in Mesa and knew she wanted it to be part of her life going forward. At the time, Prairie City Landing had not been introduced to Wii Bowling.
Cynthia Bazin, Prairie City Landing’s Marketing Director, said, “It’s not if we can do it, but how we’re going to do it.” Before Barbara and Ed moved in, Cynthia ensured Prairie City had Wii Bowling.
Once Barbara settled in, she established leagues, teaching her neighbors how to play—enjoying their time together while being active and having fun. Now, there are four Wii Bowling leagues at Prairie City Landing. If you want to join but lack bowling experience, don’t fear! Barbara loves introducing newcomers to her passion, coaching them, and watching them thrive.
“You know what you give out comes back one-hundredfold,” she tells me. One of Barabara’s “students” regularly shares her excitement about her progress. “She just feeds my soul,” Barbara says.
“You are never too old to learn. I finally get it. You don’t have to worry about the ego. Let it go. Just have fun,” Barbara advised me.
While this is easier said than done, meeting Barbara shows me it is possible. Being on the receiving end of Barbara’s light reminds me that it is well worth the effort!
Learning, moving, and growing—and having fun!—is important at any age. Discover the multitude of fitness classes, social opportunities, and adventures that await you at Prairie City Landing. Read more about our signature programs or reach out to a Counselor who can introduce you to life at Prairie City Landing.
Download our complimentary guide Staying Home vs. Senior Living.
Discover life at Tenfold’s Prairie City Landing
We created Prairie City Landing to support our residents to live their best lives possible. Our community’s design, residences, activities and amenities are all focused on helping to connect, engage and create an enriched life.
If you’re searching for senior living that is different from the rest, we hope you will consider Tenfold’s Prairie City Landing. We invite you to download our complimentary guide Staying Home vs. Senior Living. Contact us to speak to an advisor, or schedule your tour of Prairie City Landing today to experience senior living and our community for yourself.
