I was forced to downsize after my husband's aorta dissected. Mayo Clinic physicians operated on him three times and saved his life. Actually, it was a miracle my husband was still alive. We lived in a Cape Cod house and he couldn't navigate stairs. We had lived there for 20+ years and the thought of downsizing was challenging. I gave some things away, sold others, and donated dozens of books to the public library. All this in preparation to move to a town home. Out town home was 1,800 square feet, a size that worked out well. I didn't buy anything new for our town home and we lived there for five years. My husband's failing health forced us to move again and we moved to Charter House in Rochester, MN, a Mayo Clinic retirement home. A year and a half after we moved in my husband died and I still live in the apartment we shared. Though life isn't perfect, I know I live in a safe, protected building within walking distance of Mayo. Most importantly, I live among people who understand this stage of life and care for each other.