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When Al Bosma walks into the Victorian Village gym, as he does every Monday and Wednesday from 9:00-9:45 a.m., he’s welcomed warmly. Truly, wherever Al goes around the Homer Glen community, residents and staff alike are delighted to see him. His smile and kind words light up whatever space he’s in, and it’s hard to imagine there was ever a time when this social butterfly was solitary.…

Krishna Chakrabarty grew up near a crocodile-infested river in Morbi, India. When she was a little girl, her father, an educator himself, taught her to swim in that river. When she expressed fear about the crocodiles, he shooed off her concerns. “He said, ‘If you just keep moving, they won’t get you.’ So I learned to swim fast,” she laughs.…

In the summer of 1945, World War II was coming to an end. Nonie Sternberg was 14 and looking for a job. Her friend across the street, Goldie Bruischart, told her that down at the Holland Snack Shack where she worked, the dishwasher just got fired. Maybe Nonie should look for a job there?…

Anyone who visits the Park Place of St. John dining room during mealtime will find tables filled with conversation and laughter, but if you listen closely, one table will be the loudest of all, with six men’s voices carrying over all the other sounds. They’re six widowers, all with successful careers and accolades, but they say one of the biggest treasures of their lives are the friendships they’ve found with each other.…