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I was lost…

Charlotte Ray became a resident of MRC Cornerstone in 2017. Throughout her life, she was a mother, a wife, a daughter, and so much more. My husband retired early and we bought a mobile home and traveled, but that was short lived. He got sick and it started my seven-year journey as his caretaker. When Romie died in 2017, I was lost; I had lost my mother, my husband and my best friends. I sat alone for six months not wanting to the leave the house, dependent on my daughter to bring groceries to me.  

I had no purpose…

One Sunday morning, I decided I was going to get up and get dressed to go to church. I made my way to the car and started having a panic attack! I was so overpowered, I could not even drive. I had not adjusted well to being a widow. I was still having conversations with the chair my husband had sat in for so many years. I sat on my patio and questioned, what do I need? Who was I? I had been so many roles before, especially caregiver, and I felt I no longer had a purpose.

I fell…

It wasn’t until Mrs. Ray’s daughter suggested to look into a retirement community, as she too saw the effects of loneliness and isolation on her mother, that Mrs. Ray considered moving to a retirement community. We looked at several communities in Texarkana, and my anxiety levels grew. They were all so cold and unwelcoming until we came to MRC Cornerstone. From the minute I walked in, I knew this was the place for me; I fell in love. Moving here was the best decision I could have made. Here, I am surrounded with friends who are like extended family. There is laughter, shoulders to lean on, and a whole new world of things to do even during a pandemic! I have lived here three and half years and I have never regretted decision to make MRC Cornerstone my home.

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