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Archive for the ‘Seasons’ Category

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.

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As autumn sweeps over the valley I call home I can’t help but marvel at the beauty and wonder that in all actuality signals the death of summer and warns us that winter is just around the corner. I am a warm weather lover. I don’t shed my jacket until the air hits at least 75 degrees, 80 is better and 85 is perfect. I want to be out in it, inhaling sunshine. But as soon as that pre-winter chill hits, I’m the sit by the fire and read girl, a quilt over my legs and a hot beverage in my hand.

Still – autumn captures me. I love russet maples. I love the sight of trees that rain down gold and yellow. I love the sound of leaves crunching beneath my feet and I smile when one lands lightly on my hair or floats past close enough to brush my cheek. Logically I know they are dying. But spiritually, I sense them dancing.

They have accomplished their mission in life, to bud and unfurl and shine lush green, giving shelter to birds and squirrels and frisky house cats. They have dressed the branches in a vibrant veil of life and given the breeze something to tickle. They’ve provided shade for the summer lover, a cool spot to sit and watch bees and butterflies do their thing.

And now that their virile days are over, they don’t go out without making a statement. Oh no – nothing quiet about their golden age. They transform. They get out their catchiest outfits, they wear red, they laugh in rusty tones, they twirl and float and settle soft.
They know the secret. They know that while others might see their purpose at an end, they have much more to offer. Children will love to jump and play in them, friends will enjoy walking through them, couples will grasp hands for warmth and share special moments taking in the beauty they add to the landscape.

Winter will come, snow will cover them until the world forgets they were ever there. But they will still be doing their work, mulching the earth to provide nourishment for the new growth that comes with the spring.

Never forget that like the leaves, God has a purpose and a plan for us at every age. Our mission is to listen, follow His leading, and embrace our value in our current season. Don’t lament the fertile green we once wore when you can dress in a ball gown of autumn colors. Don’t regret the day you find you must rest at the root of the tree when you can treasure the memory of the journey that brought you there and the rich heritage you leave for the new growth that is nourished by it.

“And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come” . Psalm 71:18

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