If you have listened to my podcast recently, you know that my husband recently retired from the job he had for 37 years. That’s a long time to do anything let alone work at the same company. He started right out of high school and was eligible to retire at 55 so he did. It took him awhile to finally decide that now is the right time.
If you have ever experienced making the retirement decision, was it difficult? Dave has been thinking about it for a few years after he found out he could be done at such an early age. The job was getting rough for him in a couple of different ways but he still wasn’t sure it was time to quit. We had to figure out the financial aspect (we still are figuring that out) which is a bit scary in today’s economic climate.
He finally made the decision after one of his co-workers left and on his last day, he had absolutely no regrets. He walked out of there waiting to feel a twinge or questioning feeling asking himself if it was the right thing to do. It never came. It was absolutely the right thing to do at the right time.
So people keep asking about what he’s “doing now?” Well the short answer is: “whatever he wants.” (Duh!)
Seriously, he is doing what he calls “putzing” around the house. He is organizing the garage because he had to bring his extra large toolbox home, he is tending to the fall chores like cleaning up the garden and emptying the water barrels. I also have a list for him-you can call it a honey-do list if you like-it contains about 15 items that need to be done on or around our house. I haven’t shared the whole list with him yet, I have found in 34 years of marriage that these things need to be introduced slowly and one at a time.
He is also a hunter and fisherman and he is finding it funny that he now has the time to go turkey hunting on a Tuesday if he wants. Sometimes he feels like he is “supposed to be somewhere” but then he realizes that he has the freedom to do pretty much anything.
It has been fun to watch him as finds freedom in this new transition. He is one of the hardest working people on the planet and he deserves this time to do whatever he wants to do. He provided for our family and never asked for recognition for it, he just did it. The man didn’t even want a retirement party and I know him well enough not to give him one even if I REALLY want to.
People have also been asking about how I like having him home more often and the short answer is: I love it!
His work was wearing on him and he is so much happier and relaxed. We plan meals and activities together more often and it’s just nice knowing he’s here when I come home. We are just exploring the possibilities of what we want to do and where we want to go and I love that feeling! Maybe that will change and we will get tired of each other but I don’t think so. Actually we have deer hunting and then ice fishing coming up and he spends a lot of time on those activities so he won’t be here every minute of every day.
So yes, the retirement phase is going well. It’s early and you never know how things might change but I plan to enjoy this time. I have a more relaxed husband again and it is awesome!
Take care of your beautiful self!
~Kim~
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