Patrick and Annie have been retired for several years. They have always been very surrounded and intended to continue. Two of their children bought right away. Their daughter Fabienne joined them after the birth of her first baby. She confides: "I offer something exceptional to my kids, being here. They are with cousins, friends, grandparents." She is hesitating. She laughs: "What's also great is that we have a lot of relays in the education of the little ones. Me, I have no authority over them and I'm very happy that someone is raising their voice to me sometimes!"
A mother points out: "For that too, you have to be ready. Accept that the kids are sometimes picked up by someone else. Because they are in one of the common areas and they make noise or stupidity. That's how it is, that's the game. But what's also beautiful is that everyone has this reflex to keep an eye on them."
If you want to isolate yourself and see no one, to rest, just close the door.
In their spacious shared party room, furnished with huge tables, wide sofas, musical instruments, hundreds of books, game boxes and a large projection screen, the teenagers of L'Hédina are having a field day. Next door the gym is also well used. Perhaps not as much as the great novelty, born of confinement: the ultra-modern coworking space. The latter even has a sofa bed, in case a resident has a guest. They have thought of everything. And always to others.
Patrick explains: "We get our hands dirty, even if the installation is not going to serve us directly. It's in our mindset. But no one is forced into it. If we want to to isolate ourselves and see no one, to rest, just close the door. No one will come and force us to clean the pool or set up a picket. If we do it, it's spontaneous. Naturally. And that works well that way."
There is never a problem with childcare here.
He feels that he is already tinkering a little less than at the time of installation. Question of age, despite everything. But the couple feels they are living in the perfect conditions to age well. "Already, we are there for our children, our grandchildren. It's a real pleasure. And then, we're also there for those of others. Here, there's never any worry about childcare! Yesterday, a little one was sick, my wife took care of him at home."
A very small girl comes to interrupt the conversation: "Do you have a cake?" Patrick hesitates. He's watching his watch. "Okay, so just one…because it's going to be dinner time." The little girl's eyes are shining. She engages, discreetly: "Hey, don't you have any for my friends too?" "Ah. Well yes. And how many are your girlfriends?"
A few minutes later, it is Hélène – flanked by a few residents in duvets – who will slip into the kitchen to grab some lollipops.
