With an effortless elegance and a sharp eye on the world around her, Karin has spent eight decades collecting something far more valuable than possessions: wisdom.
Born in Eastern Europe and raised in post-war Germany, Karin learned early that life can ask a lot of you.
“We really had to struggle to survive,” she says of the decade she spent in refugee housing. “I learned to be modest – there was no other way.”
Over time, that modesty became something else: a growing curiosity about others and a deep commitment to community.
The secret to happiness is other people
“People bring me joy,” Karin says. “When I meet someone I like, I am all for that person. I want to know everything about them.”
As a young woman, Karin’s desire to understand the variety in human nature led her to acting – a dream she ultimately set aside when she fell in love and followed her husband to the United States. While she’s sometimes wistful for the limelight, she knows she made the right choice.
“The love for my daughter and my husband was somehow more important and greater,” she says.
Cultivating deep, meaningful relationships – whether with family or friends – has become Karin’s life’s work.
“People tell you who they are,” she says. “And I’m interested in that.”
Living well is a shared responsibility
Karin’s deep sense of care and curiosity extends to her neighbors at Atria West 86, the country where she lives, the country where she’s from and everyone in between. That’s why she thinks staying engaged is critical for everyone. She knows from personal experience that community requires people to work together, to share and to listen – whether it’s over dinner or at the ballot box.
“It would be foolish not to be interested in politics,” Karin says directly.
And she lives according to her own advice: reading, following current events and finding opportunities for civic participation.
“Don’t say your voice doesn’t matter,” she advises. “Everybody’s voice matters.”
As someone who cares so much about the lives and thoughts of others, her conviction isn’t wishful thinking. It’s simple honesty.
In celebration of Atria’s 30th anniversary, we’re sharing Pearls of Wisdom from the wisest people we know – the residents in our senior living communities, who have navigated every chapter of life. Visit AtriaPearls.com to browse an archive of their advice and gather even more wisdom.
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