Happy Valentine’s Day!

Concordia Retirement in Bella Vista, Arkansas celebrated Valentine’s Day with a day full of love and special festivities for our residents and their loved ones. This year our community spread the love with a variety of fun activities, delicious treats and heartwarming moments to make Valentine’s Day truly special for everyone involved. From themed decorations to live entertainment and exciting surprises, Concordia Retirement celebrated love and friendship this February 14th.

Events at Concordia Retirement aren’t just reserved for couples. There are plenty of fun opportunities for singles and friends to come together and enjoy each other’s company. We had a resident favorite, Deb Horn, performing at our Valentine’s/Galentine’s party. So, besides Valentine’s Day, we welcomed those gals or guys celebrating Galentine’s Day. Galentine’s Day is usually celebrated the day before Valentine’s Day. At Concordia, in addition to wine and other special treats, residents crowned a king and queen of Concordia for the event. Deb Horn sang love songs of the past, and residents sang along while some moved on the dance floor. At our party this year, we had best friends Dorma and Marjorie dancing with Deb Horn.

Our residents always look forward to an exquisite Valentine’s Day dining experience. The community’s dining team goes above and beyond every year to create a memorable meal that includes steak and shrimp along with an elegant special surprise dessert that this year included chocolate and fresh strawberries.

I enjoyed talking with residents and Concordia staff about their Valentine’s Day plans and memories. One romantic employee had some grand plans this year. He planned to surprise his wife with an expensive gift she’s been wishing for, along with some beautiful flowers. He’d even hired a babysitter so they can have a special date.

Lora Burch, one of our residents, shared a special memory from 1977 when she and her husband were in the service. She was pregnant, and he was away at sea. Although he was not known for his romantic gestures, he arranged for flowers to be left at their house for her to find when she got home from work. She suspects that the friend who delivered the flowers had suggested to her husband that he should get her flowers. She never asked, but she was grateful to be remembered.

As you walk through our four apartment buildings and past our townhomes, you will find many resident doors decorated with hearts and other Valentine’s decorations. One resident even decorated a small area outside her apartment door with flowers, candy and other festive items. Another resident ensured that the sitting areas on each floor outside the elevator are decorated with colorful hearts and bears. If you or a loved one would like to live in an active community like Concordia that loves to have fun, call 479-855-3714 to arrange your personalized tour or perhaps have lunch with us and meet some of our young-at-heart residents.