Linda Cooper knows what she likes.
She likes the color orange. She likes having her nails painted. She likes chocolate ice cream and an ice-cold Coke from McDonald’s. She likes taking pictures, so much so that her iPhone is constantly running out of memory. She likes art, dancing, going shopping and spending time with her friends.
And she really, really likes weddings.
In Linda’s room at her Glenwood home, weddings are everywhere. There are magazine cutouts of brides and grooms, wedding-planning how-to books, bouquets, veils, tiaras and dresses. Four wedding dresses, to be exact, tucked away in suitcases and ready to be worn whenever Linda wants.
“I’m just going to go put on my dress,” she says to her caregivers, almost every day, before heading to her room to pick out her current favorite. She slips it on over her T-shirt and jeans and is eager to pose for a picture in the sparkly frock.
For Linda, a pretty dress is more than just a pretty dress.
It’s a reminder that her life gets to be filled with the things she loves, surrounded by people who know how much those things matter.
Linda is 62 years old. She first came to Glenwood in 1974 as one of the organization’s first 16 clients. More than five decades later, she is still part of the Glenwood community. In February 2026, she transitioned into Glenwood’s Aging Population program, beginning a new chapter in the same community she has called home for more than 50 years.
And as Linda’s life changes, one thing hasn’t: She is still in control of what makes her life her own.
For the people who care for Linda, the approach is simple.
“We do what she wants to do,” one of her direct support professionals says. “She’s in control.”
For Linda, that means her life gets to look like Linda.
Her caregivers know she’ll beeline for the wedding-dress section when she goes thrifting. They know orange and yellow are the colors she wants on her nails. They know she has strong opinions about her chocolate ice cream. A chocolate milkshake is not the same. They know she loves taking pictures, going out into the community and finding something new to enjoy.
They know she’s independent.
And they know she’s a little bossy.
At church, Linda is known as “Big Mother,” a nickname that reflects her strong personality. Her caregivers joke that she’s the boss at her home, too.
But knowing Linda means more than knowing her preferences. It means knowing what brings her joy and making sure there is room for those things in her life.
Every Tuesday, Linda attends art class at Studio by the Tracks, and she rarely turns down an opportunity to go shopping. Her caregivers intentionally keep her days varied, whether it’s a trip to a museum, a walk in the neighborhood or a road trip to a new city.
Sometimes, those trips lead to something no one expected.
On a recent trip, Linda discovered she loved something her caregiver never expected: a visit to a casino.
When they returned home, Linda wanted to go back.
“She always surprises you,” her caregiver says. “You go, ‘I did not know Linda likes this. I didn’t know Linda does this.’”
That’s the thing about a full life: There is always something left to discover.
And that’s especially important as Linda ages.
Glenwood isn’t trying to make her life smaller. Instead, her caregivers continue to look for ways to support her independence and help her learn new skills, from doing her own laundry to using an air fryer. They encourage her to stay active, keep walking, remain engaged and connected to the world around her.
Supporting Linda’s independence doesn’t always mean doing more for her. Sometimes, it means giving her the opportunity to do more for herself.
For Linda, the moments may seem simple: a Tuesday at art class, a shopping trip, a new skill, a road trip or a picture added to her phone. Together, though, they represent something much bigger. They give Linda the opportunity to keep making choices about her own life.
Glenwood’s role is not to decide when those things become less important. It’s to help Linda keep doing them. To keep giving her opportunities to choose. To support her independence. To make room for joy.
And because of the support of people who believe in Glenwood’s mission, Linda can continue to experience those moments and discover the ones no one has thought of yet.
The goal isn’t to ask what aging will take away from her.
It’s to keep asking what comes next.
Maybe it’s another Tuesday at art class. Maybe it’s another road trip. Maybe it’s another picture added to her phone. Maybe it’s a new dress, the sparklier, the better.
Or maybe it’s the brown sequin dress she already loves, a tiara on her head, wedding napkins in her hands, and someone behind the camera waiting for her to strike a pose.
Linda knows what she likes.
And Glenwood will keep making room for all of it.
