As we anxiously awaited word from our realtor about the offer we submitted on the PV property in Fluvia, we also started letting our family know about our plans. My husband Ken has a 91 year old mother named Mildred. Ken is Mildred’s only surviving child (he had a older brother who’s no longer living). We are very close and she loves coming to visit us in Atlanta. She lives in Norwalk, Connecticut, Ken’s home town. She lives in a single family home that’s converted into a duplex. She lives upstairs and has tenants that are personal friends that live downstairs. Her grandchildren regularly visit her and take her out to dinner, the movies, and doctor’s appointments. She also makes regular visits to the casino in Atlantic City and usually leaves with hefty winnings! She’s very active for her age and aside from some slight mobility issues, she’s in excellent health. When she stays with us, she has her own room on our guest level which we have outfitted for her with a fridge, toaster oven, Kuerig machine, and television. She enjoys going out to eat and usually has a list of restaurants prepared in advance of her arrival! When we first adivised her of our plans to retire to PV, she had the questions you would expect someone to have. “How far is that from Norwalk?” “Will I be able to come by myself?” “Will I have my own room?” We reassured her that the only thing that would change would be the need to make sure her passport is up to date. Of course, in her mind, this was something in the distant future and I think she convinced herself that she didn’t need to think about it for some time to come. When we informed her that our plans could involve making the move as early as the end of 2022, it became apparent she was not on board with the idea. She stated on more than one occasion, “I thought you all meant 5 years from now.” While we never gave a specific timeframe when talking about our desire to retire to Mexico, I believe she applied an arbritrary date for such an event as a way of comforting herself about the prospect with the notion that at her age, she might not be in the picture when it actually took place. Suddenly faced with the prospect of having to adjust to a new normal, she made it clear to us that she was not happy with our plans. My husband Ken alerted me to a conversation he had with her one day. She had prepared a letter in which she articulated all the reason that she believed reinforced her belief that we were making mistake. I was very surpised to hear how strongly she was opposed to the move. She believed that we had spent so much time creating our beautful Atlanta home and that we should wait until we were both retired to move to PV. She was also upset that her plans to spend the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays with us as she had been for the past several years would be cancelled. Ken and I both discussed her letter and how best to respond. Ken had calmly advised her that she had some valid points and reassured her we would rething our decision. I also reached out and offered the same reassurance. I also let her know that we were also motivated by the current real estate market and the likelihood that our home would sell quickly and at a price that would be advantageous. Interest rates are rising and to wait might throw a monkey wrench in our plans. She seemed to be comforted by the fact that we listened and let her know that we respected her opinion. I reiterated to Ken my belief that she was hoping for the status quo to be maintained for as long as she was here with us. It wasn’t hard to imagine what it feels like to be 91, used to the life you have and the comfort of knowing your Son is accessible. The thought of all that changing is probably frightening! Now we had a new complication to our plans!