Retired French professor at Brookdale Skeet Club took some time to reminisce about her 40 years in the teaching profession.

Jeanne Elisha, a resident of Brookdale Niskayuna, discusses her time stationed in Germany near the French border during the Berlin Wall conflict.

A Cinco de Mayo celebration made its way into the halls of Brookdale Henderson in a most delicious and entertaining way.

A couple at Brookdale Tullahoma celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows. The Bethmanns fell in love in 1948 after Bill saw a photo of Charlotte on his friend's dresser. Bill shared that their marriage is rooting in love, calling it "the answer" to life's challenges.

Plano resident Helen Ahlgrim recently celebrated her 100th birthday at Brookdale Collin Oaks Assisted Living & Memory Care. Her century-long life has been marked by hard work, friendship and a reason to smile no matter the day.

Brookdale Executive Director Lorelei Broxson joined Loving Living Local to discuss how Brookdale fosters connections among residents and the importance of friendship in older adults.

Marie Smith Craig marked a milestone birthday in Danville on Tuesday, celebrating her 102nd surrounded by family, laughter and love at Brookdale Senior Living. “I’m 1-0-2, I can't believe it,” Craig said during the celebration as friends and family sang “Happy Birthday.”

A love story for the ages right in the Star City, proving that true love transcends all bounds. Ken and Ginny Thelan have been married for 40 years; they’re both physicians who met in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. “I had been practicing with a large group of doctors there, and Ginny had just finished her residency at Bowman Gray, said Ken while his arm was wrapped around Ginny. “She came over to our office to interview, and I was one of the physicians who interviewed her. It was love at first sight for me.” The pair moved to the valley in 2004 to work for Carilion Clinic. After 40 years together, they now have a life apart. Since last January, Ginny has lived at Brookdale, an assisted living and memory care center. In those 13 months, Ken has only gone one day without seeing her.

At Brookdale Meridian Englewood, residents gathered to celebrate Valentine's Day with music, dancing, and heartfelt moments. Among them were Syl and Margaret Walorski, a Colorado couple whose love story has spanned decades.

To see how love looks across generations, we drove to Stillwater to talk with couples young and old about what keeps their relationships going. For some answers, we headed down the street to Brookdale Senior Living. Carol and Rodney Maples have been married for 54 years. They met in 1972 at church. Their first date? A pizza parlor. “He said, ‘Would you like to go to a wedding?’” Carol Maples recalled. “And I said, ‘Okay, whose?’ And he said, ‘Ours.’ And I said, ‘Okay, I need another slice of pizza.’”

Trust and listening are the most important ingredients to a long-lasting relationship, according to a Springfield couple that has been married for 67 years. Dalton and Dolores Dean shared their secrets to a successful relationship in honor of Valentine’s Day. The couple currently resides at the Brookdale Buck Creek assisted living facility in Springfield.

Love is in the air at Brookdale Dublin Senior Living Community in Berks County. The sparkling juice was poured and special Valentine's meal was served for a couple who knows a thing or two about love.

It was love at first sight. Four years ago, 93-year-old John "Jack" Mertens saw Elizabeth Rae Tomei walking down the hall at Brookside Ormond Beach. He thought she was beautiful. He mustered up the courage to ask Tomei, 91, to eat lunch with him. "The fuse was lit," Mertens said. That was the beginning of their love story.

Seahawks fans are getting into the competitive spirit ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl. Brookdale West Seattle, a local senior living community, joined the city’s festivities in the lead up to the title game, issuing a friendly challenge to their sister senior living community in New England.

Brookdale Hagerstown recently launched a men’s club, and for their first activity, residents created wooden toys to donate to local children for Christmas. Several of the men have experience in woodworking and used those skills to build the toys.