Retirement Through A Woman's Perspective

“Refire—an attitude of embracing the years ahead with enthusiasm rather than apathy.”
― Morton Shaevitz, Refire! Don't Retire: Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life

At the onset of my retirement, everything seems negative for me. I felt the hesitation of retiring from within me, but I have to accept it. I felt the emptiness and fear of what would be life after retirement. Working for 6 days a week was something I felt I would be missing. Everything on my mind disturbed me a lot. The only thing then that relieved me was my faith in God...that everything will be fine.

Perceiving retirement means a lot of analysis and understanding. Retirees need to look at the brighter side of it after considering the truth about it. Here are what some including me think about retirement:

Life after retirement is the hardest for someone like me...who spent an entire life of endless routine as a wife, a mother and a teacher. At first it was indeed a stage full of anxiety, missing so many things and afraid of the signs of getting old. Though retirement is a new chapter for one like me to take a full rest of mind and body with nothing to worry about and reaping what I had worked hard for it, still I could feel something strange within me. I am missing all the things I did before. Self- denial is pulling me and infact overwhelming the whole of me. It was a struggle, adjustments, coping and so many expectations. The good thing is I am now slowly learning and accepting anything and everything. June 1 is my first retirement anniversary and it shows time flies so so fast and I have to age gracefully not to be drawned by negativity.

Retirement is a new story...it can be a good one if one has to make a good story of his own. Lessons learned from the years that passed...through the years could help a lot. Knowing how to maximize the time left, enjoying life to the fullest, avoiding expectations, thinking about wellness, creativity and positivity and fostering sincerity and kindness will help a lot. Most of all thinking about how good God is to us. To be happy and at peace is about gratitude, good vibes and forgiving. retirement is trying to enjoy the luxury of time and beauty of the things we have God has given all of us for free.

Of course retirement for those who were not lucky enough to prepare for it is another story. I am so thankful I am now who I am and it is for me to enjoy it regardless of everything coming along my way. I have so many plans...I still wanted to do so many things... to write and blog more, to have my own herbal and vegetable garden, to bake and cook, to sew, to do interior designing, to continue my advocacy and to teach... But I know everything is all about time, opportunity and my health...I know God is so good and He has still good plans for me.

Going back to where I started when I had my family of my own is where I am now...just with my husband. From the present set up, I am learning that retirement for both of us is all about adjustments, understanding, considerations and patience. Staying together at home for a longer period of time means so many things to consider. Getting old could mean arguments and conflicts. With all the physical changes and mood swings, life for both of us is so different and we need more time to accept and understand one another. It is good I was trained to be empowered and educated from what I got from my formal education, my work and my entire experiences...these are all helping me a lot now...asserting my rights and not to be abused and just be respected though it is not above love as it was used to be. Retirement is more on accepting everything about the one we chose to love before and talking things in a more civil and friendly ways if not as romantic and passionate as before.

Retirement is doing things at your own because your children at this time have their own lives already. Retirement is about expecting nothing for it would just only hurt you and make you cry. Good for those with children who have time for them especially during those situations when they needed them most. But despite it all...love and forgiveness should never leave our hearts. Afterall they are our children whom we lived and worked so hard for.

Getting used to with retirement is not that easy. As one grows older, it is more on love, attention, understanding and support. Children of retired parents should me more than willing to give a little time if not more for them. Remember our parents spent so much time, effort, money and really sacrificed a lot for all of us...this is now the time for you to pay them back not in terms of money but in terms of love, affection and time... Life is too short for us to regret wasting time doing the right thing for those we love so much...a simple "I love you", a hug and and a kiss will mean a lot for your parents.