Billie’s story had become quite somber during the last few years. Friends and family members had begun to pass away, including her husband of 50 years. After losing 15 pounds for no apparent reason, she visited her doctor.
Her doctor confirmed that the weight loss was the result of depression and encouraged Billie to consider joining a senior activity center and recommended LIFE Senior Services, a Tulsa Area United Way partner agency.
Billie initially thought this was a laughable idea; “they want me to go to Zumba with a bunch of old people?” However, she decided to give it a try.”
She first visited a line dancing class, and, to her surprise, she saw 60 to 80 other seniors flying around the dance floor, so she jumped right in.
Before coming to LIFE, Billie had reached a point where even taking the stairs was a taxing challenge. As she continued to get involved in more classes, Billie saw her flexibility, strength and mobility increase exponentially.
Now she can be found at LIFE’s Senior Center at East Side almost every day; often for the entire day. Stairs are no longer a challenge for Billie; in fact, she is now able to run up them with ease.
While being active is important to Billie’s story, she says her favorite part about LIFE is “finding a group of people I can relate to.”
One of her greatest joys comes from being active, and LIFE Senior Services helped her develop new friendships and find an active community that feels like home.