Donna Klein

Allow me to introduce myself. For more than 20 years, my family and I have lived in Ocqueoc Township. We love living here, even through the depths of winter. One question we’re asked to this day is “why did you move here?” once the conversation gets around to where we used to live, St. Petersburg, Florida.

The reason we chose Michigan was to escape what had become a literal toxic environment for us, and my husband grew up in the state. The reason we chose this cozy corner of the state was to be close enough to my husband’s aging mother to provide peace of mind to his siblings downstate in the event of an emergency. We could have chosen anywhere, but we chose here! “I love where I live” is not a facetious statement for me.

I grew up in a small suburban borough called Hawthorne, New Jersey, a place in the ‘shadow’ of New York City that lies at the base of the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. It was and continues to be a great place to raise a family. There was lots of green space with a fantastic hill to roll down when the weather was warm, and to ride a sled down during winter.

A little more than 40 years ago, there was still a dairy farm within a mile of my New Jersey home, yet the silhouette of The City could be seen at night. We bought our milk in glass bottles, and fresh ice cream, butter, and other dairy products came from cows I could watch grazing in the field at the store where we shopped. Other farms were less than an hour away, and Dad liked going for rides in the country. It offered quite the contrast from living shoulder-to-shoulder and always held a certain fascination for the child in me.

My mother never thought I would live in a rural area, or anywhere where the sun hides for weeks, and it snows! I was used to urban/suburban living, and I loved the sun! But the memories of my youth, all the adventures we went on, and the desire to have a choice in how close I lived to my neighbors, outweighed the lack of daily sun and winter’s snow.

It was a tough adjustment at first, and I originally had an agreement with my husband that I would only go outside when I wanted to when it was below 50 degrees. But now that we’ve lived here almost as long as we lived in our house in Florida, I’m so glad we decided to move here. I feel and see the Earth breathe through every season, and that brings me closer to God and His marvelous creations.

I am happy to be a part of this community and a contributor to Lifestyles. My name is Donna Klein.