Dreams Take Flight In Virginia Beach
C.S. Lewis said “You are never too old to set a new path or dream a new dream.†We are learning that this week as 60 elders and stakeholders from Signature Hometown homes in Kentucky and Tennessee are visiting Virginia Beach on our 14th Elder Vacation.
The elders all arrived to the resort with their eyes full of hope and their heads full of dreams. Fran’s dream has always been to see the ocean. I won’t likely forget the sweet tears of joy she shed as she slipped her shoes off to feel her toes in the sand for the very first time.
Yesterday we started the day by climbing aboard our tour bus to take a quick driving tour of Virginia Beach to learn the local history. We enjoyed touring the Cape Henry lighthouses along the way. Roberta, one of our elders, had lived in the area previously and she enjoyed being our tour guide and told us everything we needed to know.
When our bus pulled up to the Military Aviation Museum, our elders were especially excited. Like always, we were given the star treatment and pulled all the way back to the hangar where the planes were out practicing flights for their weekend show. We were treated to lunch in the hangar with the WWII planes and a fun talk by Rosie The Riveter!
The museum staff asked Cordell and Harry, two of our veterans, to sign the Living History boards at the museum. It was exciting for them to share with us their time in the services and that opened up the afternoon to so many stories and memories!
In the evening, we took a tour of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, which the elders were amazed by. They couldn’t imagine the tunnel was built underwater and that we were driving underwater! We arrived to the Chesapeake Grille for a special dinner on the water.
Walking on the pier last night, watching our elders so full of joy and happiness made my own heart soar. I was reminded of a Henry David Thoreau quote: “Dreams are the touchstones of our characters.†In that moment, I saw all their dreams starting to take flight with them!
Stay tuned to see where our newly spread wings take us next!
-Angie McAllister