VIDEO: Finding Love in a Retirement Home

Relationships are like trees, ever changing and in flux. Their roots can reach deep creating strong bonds like those of a family, new branches may appear and grow long with nourishment and attention or wither and fall off if neglected. And like trees, relationships are needed throughout our lifetime—including our later years.



(Watch: How Harry met Gertrude.)

When Harry arrived at his new retirement community in Surrey, BC the last thing he expected was to meet Gertrude. He was standing there "looking so forlorn," says Gertrude. She decided to take him on a tour to cheer him up. "I thought 'Well, I'd kinda like to see more of her,'" says Harry. Soon they were spending so much time together, Gertrude asked Harry to move in with her. Now he can't imagine life without her.



Senior love: As important as oxygen

Relationships are an important part of our natural balance and well being, especially so in later life. A recent study in Sweden found that widowers who met a new partner within five years were less likely to develop mental illnesses than those who didn't. Like our forests, relationships need to be cultivated with our futures in mind.

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