By Crystal Linn

A good friend of mine, whom I will call Lynne, was married to a man I will call Nate. Both Lynne and Nate worked in the medical field, Lynne in patient care and Nate in research. The two of them knew the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Even after retiring they would take their dogs and walk several miles each morning, and they did this year-round.

In the spring of 2025 Nate went in for his annual checkup where the doctors declared he was unusually healthy for his age. A few weeks later he died from a massive stroke. Lynne was devastated. In addition to the grief of losing her beloved husband of more than 50 years she was in shock from the sudden and unexpected tragedy. She did not even get to say goodbye.

The two of them have one daughter who lives out of state. I will call her Lisa. Fortunately Lisa is self-employed and was able to go and be with her mother. She stayed for several months, helping with funeral services, dealing with finances, assisting Lynne with going through belongings and selling her parents’ house.

When everything was finally settled Lynne moved in with Lisa for several months until she found a place of her own. Now, uprooted as a senior citizen and a widow Lynne must begin a new life. It has been slow but steady and she is finally beginning to feel somewhat stable.

Lynne and Lisa have always been close and Lynne is eternally grateful for Lisa, who dealt with so much during that rough time, especially dealing with all internet related business.

Lynne writes a blog on senior citizen issues and she encouraged me to write about how critical it is for seniors to have a good support system. I share her story as an example of why it is so important. Lynne is blessed to have a supportive daughter in Lisa.

As a senior citizen myself I know how crucial it is to have a solid support system for life’s unexpected tragedies, be it the death of a spouse, a major illness or injury, or any natural disaster.

Many people I know, myself included, have good relationships with family members and relatives. Unfortunately, there are still too many who do not have solid relationships with their family. There are no statistics for senior citizens who are childless and do not have the option of that support.

I encourage each of you create your own support system, be it with family and relatives or with a close-knit community of quality friends because tragedy is not limited to senior citizens. We all have experienced the death of friends and family members who were not yet seniors as well as other tragedies.

Write us at info@WellnessWithAge.com and share your story. I personally answer each email.