What is home?

by Scott Parkin, staff writer

"Move to Reston for the kids and stay for the parents. And that it be possible for anyone to remain in a single neighborhood throughout his (her) life, uprooting being neither inevitable nor always desirable.” -- Robert E. Simon

For many Americans, “home” means a single-family house. Culture often reinforces that expectation. But Robert E. Simon envisioned something different for Reston. He designed a suburban community with a range of housing options—not rows of detached houses stretching to the horizon. Today, Reston includes more than 130 townhome communities alone.

If you haven’t watched “Another Way of Living—The Story of Reston, Virginia,” a video produced by the Reston Community Center, it’s worth your time. The film explains what sets Reston apart and why its mix of housing was so innovative.

Simon’s planning allowed many of us to choose options that once seemed unusual in suburbia. My family started in a small townhouse in South Reston, moved to a larger one nearby and later to an even larger home in North Reston as our budget allowed. Today, we live in an apartment—and we consider it home.

So what defines home for you?

In his book “The Good Life,” Dr. Bill Thomas asks questions that resonate, particularly for older adults:

• Are you living where you want to live?

• Are you living how you want to live?

• What is the best thing about your home?

• What is the most challenging aspect?

• When do you feel safest?

• When do you feel least safe?

• If you could describe your home in one word, what would it be?

For many older Restonians, the answers center on independence, the ability to live life on their own terms. Safety also ranks high, especially for those who hope to age in place.

If you are 65 or older and haven’t talked with your spouse, family or close friends about what home means to you, consider starting that conversation now.

Scott Parkin is a cofounder and board member of Reston for a Lifetime, a nonprofit organization with a mission to educate and inform residents about aging in place. www.RestonforaLifetime.org/