Simplicity in Retirement, its never too early to start planning

When we were looking to buy our house here in Texas, we considered our needs at the time, and for our retirement years.  We walked through the house, and around our land thinking about that time in life and when we would be in our 80's.  We thought about the layout of the house, and how we knew we wanted no stairs.  We wanted a place that we could do our own repairs for as long as our health holds out and of course we considered the cost.  We bought this house, knowing we would have it paid off in less than 10 years, and we did.   Retirement should be a time of greater peace, less worry, time for introspection and a time to be spiritually grounded in a way that brings comfort to our souls in a complete and joyful way.  
We knew 25 years ago that we needed to live a simple life for many reasons.  We wanted our children to know a simple life, and we wanted to be preparing for retirement at the same time.  We certainly were not the type to invest in stocks and bonds or build a huge nest egg while raising a family, it wasn't even possible, but we did, think carefully about the things we did buy, and when we built onto our house, it was for the future along with the present.  Big dinning room for when the children were married and had children of their own.  That sort of thing.  We also didn't waste our money on things that didn't last.  We took time to learn to be content with what we NEEDED and not what we wanted.  An now, that we are retired, we watch so many our age, sell their present home, buy a brand new one and take on a mortgage, when it makes it a burden for them as soon as a medical need comes up or some other emergency arrives.   They end up living for a house and not living for a life that can be so full of joy from the things that cannot be taken from us.   We are so content to drive our 10 year old car and be able to help our children when they need help.   We see our friends move into adult communities where children are welcomed to visit on a limited basis.  And then they tell us how "lucky" we are for such a close family and how lucky we are to have the grandchildren come visit at any time for as long as we want.  Children are a blessing ! Proverbs 17:6 tells us, "Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children."  Grandchildren are a crown, and we are to be the pride of our children.  We have chosen to live our life in such a way, that in our retirement, we can cherish a simple life that allows us to live in peace and cherish that things that money cannot buy.  We feel blessed that our children want us in their lives, that our grandchildren love to be with us and that our home, simple as it is, is where the heart is.