The Comfort in Knowing Someone Will Always Be There ... Friends, Families, and Neighbors at Paul’s Run

Carole, Elizabeth, and Sylvia, three active sisters who always manage to keep themselves busy, have been close since they were children. Now living on the same floor at Paul’s Run, just a few doors down the hall from one another, the three sisters find it incredibly easy to not only maintain their close-knit relationship, but to create meaningful connections with other friends, families, and neighbors throughout the entire community.

Although slightly hesitant at first to make such a big decision, the three sisters can now share a laugh when they tell the story of how they moved to Paul’s Run just over four years ago. “We came in backwards!” Elizabeth chuckles, “Carole is the youngest and she moved in first, then me, the middle, and Sylvia was last,” she recalls.

“Here, you are always greeted by a smiling face, even if you don’t know the person. Everyone says hello, waves, and asks how you’re doing. It really makes you feel at home.” Elizabeth says. Taking no time at all to settle in, Carole, Elizabeth, and Sylvia say that Paul’s Run made them feel at home as soon as they walked through the community’s welcoming doors.

With so many activities, community service groups, and clubs available on a daily basis, the three sisters say they’re always involved in something. “We volunteer at the general store,” says Carole. “We cook meals for the Jane Addams Place, which provides shelter to homeless mothers and their children. And we also make sandwiches for the local homeless population.”

Carole continues to run down the list of various activities they all take part in regularly at Paul’s Run. “We’re always attending the events with entertainers,” she says. “They come to Paul’s Run at least two or three times each week.” Elizabeth then chimes

Paul’s Run is located at 9896Bustleton Ave., Philadelphia.

in, “We’re also on the Wii bowling team,” she explains, stating that out of the three sisters, she’s likely the most competitive.

Taking great joy in participating in numerous activities and maintaining an extremely active lifestyle, the sisters truly appreciate the staff who help make every event even more fun. “The staff here are so friendly. And they’re always there to help you if you need it.” says Sylvia.

It’s no surprise that the sisters maintain such active social calendars, as they’ve done so their entire lives. Growing up in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia, the sisters share entertaining stories of playing outside with neighborhood friends. “We lived right by the Eastern State Penitentiary,” Elizabeth explains as she refers to the former US prison that now stands as a popular (and haunted) tourist attraction. “When we lived there, there were still prisoners inside!” Elizabeth exclaims.

“They used to play baseball and the balls would come flying over the prison walls. We’d be playing in the street and catch them and bring them home to our mother,” she reminisces. Elizabeth explains that their mother would make beautiful crochet pieces using the twine from the prison baseballs.

“When we went back to the penitentiary to visit, I mentioned it to the tour guide and he wanted to display them in the museum!” Elizabeth says proudly. Although they admit they didn’t have a lot of money growing up, Sylvia says that as children, they always felt very fortunate to be constantly surrounded by friends, families, and neighbors.

As they maintained their relationship through the decades, the three sisters lived in close proximity to one another even in adulthood. “Carole lived next door to me for 60 years,” Elizabeth explains. “She was like a second mother to my daughter, and Sylvia was not too far from us.”

With families and careers the women have always enjoyed keeping up with one another. “We have been very, very close our whole lives,” Elizabeth says. As their special bond remained strong, it’s no surprise they all chose to live in one community at Paul’s Run.

Carole, the first of three sisters to move in, says that having a new-found sense of independence feels incredibly empowering. “I was living alone and I didn’t drive so I had to depend on my children a lot,” she says. “That’s what I really liked about moving here. I didn’t have to depend on my children for anything. I have everything I need here, even my doctors. That was a really big thing for me, the independence.” Carole remembers the feeling of being alone in her house before moving to Paul’s Run. “Here, I am never alone,” she says referring to the buzzing retirement community. “There’s always someone here to spend time with, and my children are so happy for me because I’m never alone,” she smiles. “There is always something to do.”

Elizabeth shares a similar sentiment with Carole about moving to Paul’s Run. “I was living with my daughter before this,” she explains. “My daughter didn’t want me living alone after my husband died so I moved in with her, and it was nice, but she had a life of her own. She had a job and a husband, and every time she had to go out I could see she was on a guilt trip thinking I was home alone,” Elizabeth sighs and continues. “I thought to myself, ‘this is no life for her,’ and the best thing for me was coming to Paul’s Run.”

Since living at Paul’s Run the sisters can’t decide what they love most about the beautiful community. “We love being around so many other people. There’s always conversations to have,” Carole says. “We have dinner with each other and our friends every night. And there’s so many things to do. Living here is like being on a constant vacation.”

With all levels of care available to them at Paul’s Run, including independent living, personal care, rehab, and skilled nursing, the three sisters feel peace of mind in knowing that they can stay in the comfort of home. “Everything we need is right here,” Elizabeth says. “Paul’s Run has been such a wonderful home for all of us.”