There comes a moment in life when you retire. You stop doing this thing you’ve been trained for, that occupied years of your time, that brought food to the table, that gave you purpose and recognition, that is part of who you are. But go on and enjoy life now! ^^
That’s what you’re supposed to do while everyone else goes on with their lives, their timetables, their obligations. You kind of feel out of sync. Time feels different, there is no imposed structure, no expectations, no restricted options. Freedom!
Freedom is daunting. You get to do what you want! But what is it that you want? Limited choices were not such a bad thing. They made things easier and didn’t have you think about all the other things you could be doing. A pretty solid excuse too for declining invitations and avoiding gatherings. ^^
The thing is, you’re left alone to figure things out. To deal with all these emotions of saying goodbye to people and places while remembering mostly the good and forgetting the bad. Of not knowing what’s coming next, and how to make good use of your time. And as if that weren’t enough, you’re expected to be happy!
But retirement is hard. It’s a revelation. It removes a veil that used to cover so many things : relationship issues, unresolved situations, hidden emotions, a lack of social life, of community, of interests. Can’t hide anymore behind long working hours.
It is a time of assessment. The time when you reap what you sow. Have you nurtured your relationship with your family and friends? Have you being doing fun activities and meeting people? Have you been volunteering? Have you been in contact with nature? Have you learnt how to appreciate the little things? How to not take time for granted? Have you taken care of your physical and mental health? Are you good friends with yourself? With your partner? Have you understood the essence?
If the answer is no, what a great opportunity to do all of this now.
