I did it – kind of. I semi-retired from my position as HR Director of a 150 employee company. Hands down, one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I loved every minute of that job. Not once did I wake up and not want to go to work. But it was time. My family said it was time. And after a serious motorcycle accident 6 months prior, my body said it was time.
I have kept my hand in the pot by agreeing to work from home part time. This has been a life saver, keeping me in contact with co-workers and my boss who ranks at the top for great bosses. It has allowed me to stay abreast of what’s happening with the company because I still feel ownership and I care about where it’s going.
I’m two months into this new venture and it most certainly has its pros and cons. For instance: Many would count this a pro – there is no need to rise early, shower, get presentable and head for work. On the other hand – my body is ready to go somewhere by 5:00 a.m. So I rise early, shower, get presentable and head for the gym thereby filling up the first couple of hours of my day.
Another pro – I now have time to attack some of those cleaning and organizing and downsizing projects that have piled up over the past years. On the other hand – I am daunted by just how many and how exhausting those projects are. Doesn’t help that we’ve lived our entire married life (56 years) in the same house so the accumulation of “stuff” is overwhelming.
I am now able to spend many more hours in the company of my spouse of 56 years which falls on the pro side. The con side – I am now able to spend many more hours in the company of my spouse of 56 years. Learning to live together again is definitely a challenge.
I have a lot more free time on my hands which is nice when it comes to lunch with friends, quilting, reading, etc. However, I feel a bit frivolous when my time isn’t filled with meaningful work.
I miss my business wardrobe including cute, high heeled shoes. I’m learning casual and comfortable. I miss the social interaction that took place in an open door office with a steady stream of interruptions. You can’t spend the whole day, every day over coffee with friends.
I love that I can spend time with older friends who need my company and my help, be it running errands or fixing meals, or just visiting. There is no con to this – it is rewarding, enriching and enjoyable. And there is no limit to lonely people out there.
I’m a goal setter, always have been. Over my career years many of those goals have been job related. My goal for the next couple of months – set goals that aren’t job related. I’m determined to write more, read more, learn more, volunteer more and do more things that are enjoyable and not feel guilty.
God has been good in allowing us to prepare for these years financially. I know that He will be faithful in helping us adjust to the changes.
In case you are wondering, I did my due diligence and looked up Bible verses about retirement so I could make sure I was scripturally on point. However, “Gray hair is a crown of glory” (Proverbs 16:31) and “the glory of young men is their strength, and gray hair the splendor of the old” (Proverbs 20:29) didn’t thrill me. I was a bit more encouraged by Isaiah 46:4-5 “… even until your old age, I am the one, and I’ll carry you even until your gray hairs come.” Still – not quite what I was hoping for.
So, I have decided to make Phillipians 3:13-14 my retirement verse: “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.“
I wouldn’t call myself a retirement expert yet. But I’m hoping to get there. I may not have a full time job but I have energy, drive and joy to keep me going. And for that I am eternally grateful.