EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Valentine's Day can look different as couples age, often trading grand gestures for quieter moments at home.
For Terry and Judy Mroz, who will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in September, the holiday has evolved along with their circumstances.
The East Grand Rapids couple has lived in their home for close to 30 years, choosing it specifically to age in place with no steps and everything on one level.
"Everything has happened here. Our daughter, you know, went to school here," Judy Mroz said. "All the family gatherings extended family were here just because we had the biggest house."
For decades, the Mrozes hosted family gatherings for both their extended families. Terry is one of five siblings, and Judy hosted Thanksgiving for both families for about 40 years.
Now, most afternoons are spent in their living room. Terry Mroz has Parkinson's disease, which has significantly changed their daily routine.
"I have Parkinson's, and so mobility is a huge issue for me and as it progresses, I get weaker and weaker and have great difficulty sustaining any physical activities. So it's pretty slow," Terry Mroz said.
Valentine's Day would be no different than any other typical day according to the couple.
"Our lives are pretty small, and we just do what we do. You know, it's not any different than any other day," the couple said.
The caregiving responsibilities have been challenging for both. Judy, 81, has had to take on heavy lifting and care tasks alone.
"If one person requires a lot of care and the other person has to do it, that is very tough. You know, for an 81 year old like me, you know, to do the heavy work and the heavy lifting alone," Judy Mroz said.
Senior Helpers, a local home care company, has provided crucial support with caregivers who help give Judy time for errands and personal needs.
This Valentine's Day brought an unexpected surprise when Emily Gugino from Senior Helpers and her son James delivered handmade Valentine's cards from students at the Goddard School of Cascade.
Senior Helpers has been organizing these Valentine's deliveries for four years, partnering with community members and schools to create cards for seniors.
"We all know about the winter blues and loneliness in general especially for families who are more home bound," said Emily Gugino of Senior Helpers of Grand Rapids. "We find that it's really important to bring them a little bit of joy, just put a smile on their face."
For the Mrozes, the visit was especially meaningful since they rarely have children visit.
"It just lights me up so we don't get a lot of children visiting. So it means a lot to me. And I guess love kids. We have one grandson but they live six hours away from here in southern Indiana, so we don't see them very often. So it's so much fun to see James," Judy Mroz said.
The couple was able to give James a Valentine's Day present in return.
"This may be, this is probably the high point of our Valentine weekend," Terry Mroz said of the surprise visit.
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