The secrets of aging well from those who have done it
On a recent December afternoon, the Star spent some time at Terraces of Baycrest Retirement Residence speaking with three residents about their lives, habits and hobbies and the kinds of New Year’s resolutions they will make for 2018
“I love to be with people and make friends.” SOPHIE KRAUSZ, 76
Life in a nutshell: Born in Russia in 1941, Krausz fled with her mother and aunt to Uzbekistan when she was 3 after her father was killed in the Second World War. After a few years, the family moved to Poland and then, later, to Montreal. At the time, she didn’t speak any English. In 1962, Krausz met her husband, with whom she had three children. In 1977, the family moved to Dundas, Ont., and Krausz soon graduated from McMaster Universi- ty with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts and then teacher’s college, after which she was an ESL and special education teacher at elementary schools for many years. A year after her husband died in 2011, Krausz decided to move into Terraces of Baycrest, mostly for the company. “I love to be with people and make friends.”
Activities: She teaches Yiddish and knitting, sings in the choir, is a member of the drama group, attends lectures and keeps on top of current events by watching a lot of TV news, about which she says: “I recently switched from CNN to CBC because Trump is too much.” Krausz is also vice-president of the Resident’s Council at the Terraces, is secretary of the choir, walks and does chair exercises and hand-writes books about her life at the retirement residence, which includes interviews with residents and staff. She loves her friends at the Terraces and calls two of them her adopted sisters. Advice for people in their middle age: “Spend time with your children, take them places, read stories to them. Be young and enjoy who you are because when we are young we don’t think of what is going to be when you are older.”
New Year’s resolutions: Eat more fruits and vegetables, go to the gym once a week and “help out more people.”