John — Thank you for your response. You are right, I am coming at this from a different place than you are, both logistically and age-wise. I did not mention family because in the US it is common for families to be scattered far and wide. Mine definitely is. While our children and grandchildren bring us great joy, we are not as lucky as you are to have them next door. That is something I dream of, but with them all from 4 hours to 14 hours away, and still moving around with their careers, I think we will be the ones making the trip to see them, wherever they are. I do think that having your family close is a good substitute for friends, as far as health benefits go. I wish for you a lovely long(er) life with some surprise friends tucked in somewhere. And what a delightful thing to say about your wife! You are lucky, indeed.

Thanks so much for reading. ♥