The Challenge of Retirement

Life has its stages. Some of you will be firmly and physically entrenched in the task of parenting young children, others will be adjusting to the demands of teenagers and their shifting moods and relationships. And there will be those among you who are facing the 'empty nest' as your burgeoning young adults flutter fleetingly in and out of your lives. It was during the Empty Nest Stage that I made an interesting discovery. The phone stopped ringing.(This was before every person over the age of 8 had a mobile phone!) I realised that my kids were the ones who were in demand socially - not me!! My social life had somehow been absorbed into family life. I had neglected this important aspect of my life.

Now I am retired, I can't blame the 'busyness' of a career for a non-existent social life! I have realized that while my working life was very satisfying, stimulating and rewarding, it had its social limitations. Now there are no excuses. It's up to me to create new relationships and deepen old ones. There is a temptation to sink into self pity and isolation but the world awaits. There are friends to visit, family members to support, grandchildren to love and people who need help. So my days can now be far more fruitful, more satisfying and more socially stimulating than I could ever have imagined.

It is with renewed enthusiasm that I head off to the gym - knowing that it is not only my body that will reap the benefits. Its the social satisfaction derived from sharing coffee with my gym friends later that really brightens up my day. The weekly discussion group that meets in our home is also a source of great stimulation. For almost 4 years we have been exploring the existence of God and his interaction in history, with our friends. Its been an amazing journey - where we have all been influenced and moulded by the other. My work with needy women has provided me with incredible insights into the strength of the human spirit and the ability of God to change lives. And there are days when a simple hot coffee or a good book delight my soul. Retirement is not a time to 'retire to a hidden world' but to celebrate life in its diversity!