To find a place near her daughter and family

Florida is a mighty long way from Oregon.

And there came a time when Ceil Hermann’s daughter in Bend hinted that she couldn’t fly to West Palm Beach, Florida, every time her mother got sick. “Not that I was sick a lot,” Ceil says. Still, she understood what her daughter had meant.

Ceil recalls thinking, “I guess it’s time for me to make a change.” So, Ceil visited Bend to find a place near her daughter and family.

The River Lodge at Touchmark wasn’t finished yet, but Ceil liked what she saw. She signed up for a new lodge home and returned to Florida to pack.

Ceil moved in the same day the River Lodge opened—in November 2003. “I have a wonderful two-bedroom, two-bath home overlooking the river,” Ceil says. “I have to be on the river; I never get tired of looking at it. I wanted a beautiful view, and I have it!”

Ceil’s son lives in Montana, “which isn’t too far away,” she says. And, of course, her daughter lives within a few miles now. Ceil and her daughter talk every day on the phone, which they could do even when they lived on opposite ends of the country, but these days they get to have lunches and dinners together once or twice a week and share special holidays and celebrations.

And if “a little medical emergency” should come up—like it did for Ceil recently—both mother and daughter can rest assured that this is the best place to be. “Touchmark takes care of everything,” Ceil says. “They are Johnny-on-the-spot!”

While she clearly enjoys spending more time with her daughter and family, Ceil also has developed a new family of friends at Touchmark and stays incredibly active. “I don’t think you should sit in your chair,” she says. “You should get out and do something!”

Ceil is always thinking ahead to her next adventure. It could be an opera with friends, a lively game of bridge, or an overnight outing to Portland. She also likes to visit her two grandchildren who live in Seattle. Her three other grandchildren live in different cities, and her great-granddaughter lives in Nashville.

Her favorite pastime is walking, especially along the river just beyond her window. She often joins the Friday walking group, spontaneously heads out with a friend, or is perfectly happy just trekking on her own in the clean high-desert air.

“I’m pretty hard to catch up with,” she admits. “I’m so active, I never know where I’m going to be next.” But chances are, it will be somewhere in Bend, near her River Lodge home overlooking the Deschutes. “It’s a wonderful place,” says Ceil. “I highly recommend it.”

In fact, Ceil Hermann loves living here in the Touchmark community so much that she often finds herself advising others to move in sooner than later.

“Every day I talk to people,” she says. “I tell them that they need to move here before they think they do.”

Ceil observes that many people come here to visit, and they quickly agree that Touchmark would be such a great place to live. “Then they say, ‘Oh, but I’ve lived in my own house for 50 years, and I can’t give it up!’”

Ceil smiles. “But I tell them that’s a big mistake.” She tells them, “You need to make these changes before you think you need to make changes.” This conviction comes from her personal experience.

Florida is still a mighty long way from Oregon. But it doesn’t matter anymore, because Ceil and her daughter are in Bend now, able to enjoy each other’s company along with their own independent activities. And they share the peace of mind that comes from knowing family is always nearby.

Ceil knows that most people don’t like change. “A lot of people are so committed to where they’ve always lived. But sometimes you just have to admit that you might need a little more help.” And Ceil is grateful she made a change when she did.

“Let’s put it this way,” Ceil says. “I’m right where I belong.”

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