Spring has sprung and with it come many changes in my life.  The first of which is that I gave my office notice last week that I am retiring the end of the month.  I was hesitant about that.  They didn’t scream “No, don’t go!” or “The door is that way!” instead they were gracious, shook my hand, smiled, and wished me luck.  They said they were jealous and after all that is what everyone is working toward.

I don’t think when I began working I was thinking about retirement.  But my husband and I have worked for many years while we raised kids, paid the mortgage, collapsed on the couch many nights (bringing work home with us), all for the sake of the almighty dollar.  Okay, not everything I have done for the last 45 years was chasing money.  If so, I lost that race. But the job was first and foremost in our minds.  Now that it is happening, I have mixed feelings.

I plan to write more and garden in good weather.  I want to travel a little; at least as far as the retirement money will let me, and not set an alarm clock.  I plan to go to the gym more and cook good food instead of running in the door, skidding to a stop, and throwing something on the table so I can rush back out the door to some activity or other.

My husband’s birthday is today.  For his birthday I gave him money and a pamphlet for a pottery course.  If you know my husband, you are thinking, “pottery?”  Funny but he has always had an interest but never the time, so now he will have the time.  His first response was these are daytime classes.  Yes, dear, you will have your daytime free now.  It is a hard concept to swallow.

Wish us luck.  We have worked – like so many people – for a long time and now we have to try to learn how to relax.  Retirement – what an unusual concept. It is a new beginning.