Ray and Ramona - A Love Story

It’s Never Too Late

The other day, I was invited to participate in a local television news story focused on the challenges seniors face when moving from a long-time home to a senior apartment or community. It was a topic close to my heart—one I’ve been speaking about for many years—so I was eager to help.

My role was simple on paper: find a senior and a family member, preferably an adult child, willing to share their moving story on camera. I assumed this would be easy. After all, so many families have powerful stories to tell. I quickly learned otherwise.

One by one, families expressed interest—until I mentioned the camera. After ten polite but firm “no thank you,” I was ready to call the station and admit defeat. I truly hadn’t imagined this would be the hard part.

Then a name came to mind: Adele.

You probably know someone like her—the busiest person you know, yet the one who always gets things done, and done well. When I called, she didn’t hesitate. “I’m on it,” she said. I knew instantly the story would happen.

A short time later Adele called back, not just with a solution, but with a beautiful idea. She suggested we tell a story not just about moving, but about what can still unfold after the move—something many seniors need to hear.

That’s when I met Ray and Ramona.

Ramona, in her mid-80s, and Ray, in his mid-90s, both moved into the same senior community years earlier—each with their respective spouses. Within a few years, both lost the partners they had loved for more than six decades. Each had been married for 63 years.

One day, Ramona brought Ray a sympathy card. In that quiet moment, they discovered their shared grief, their shared history, and their shared understanding of loss. They cried together. They mourned together. And over time, they became close friends.

A few years later, they were married.

Their wedding took place in the community’s lifestyle room so the friends they had made in their “new home” could share in their joy. It was a celebration not just of love, but of courage, openness, and the willingness to step forward again after heartbreak.

Life has a funny way of doing that. So often, we create a plan, only to watch it turn into something entirely different—sometimes far better than we imagined. The event you were excited about disappoints you, while the one you dreaded becomes unforgettable. As a wise boss once told me, “You can make your plans, but you can’t plan the results.”

Ray and Ramona were never meant to be the story—until they were.

When the bright lights came on and the newscaster began asking questions about their move, their losses, and how they met, it was impossible to miss the love between them. Ray, at 94, looked at Ramona with pure devotion. Ramona beamed with joy. Their respect for their previous spouses, their past lives, and each other was evident in every word.

What struck me most was this: they could have stayed behind closed doors. They could have retreated into solitude. Instead, they chose connection. They took a chance. They shared their stories.

Today, at 86 and 97, they’ve started a wine club, laugh often, and are deeply engaged in their community. They are connecting. They are participating. They are truly living.

For those of you who feel stuck by fear of change—afraid to leave the familiar for the unknown—please know this: staying comfortable in an uncomfortable situation can be far more isolating than stepping forward. A move to a senior community, condo, or apartment—especially when your home no longer fits your needs—may not be the end of something, but the beginning of something unexpectedly wonderful.

It may feel like the party you almost didn’t attend… the one you left grateful you said yes to. It may be where friendships grow, laughter returns, and life opens up again—just as it did for Ray and Ramona.

And who knows? They say red wine may be the secret to a long life. But if you ask Ray and Ramona, it just might be openness, courage, and the willingness to begin again.

If you or someone you love is quietly wondering whether it’s time for a change, you don’t have to have all the answers. Sometimes, a simple conversation is the first gentle step forward.