Dear Editor,
At the age of 75, I find myself reflecting more on past life experiences and endeavors than I did when I was younger. In speaking with friends of a similar age, I’m aware that, more often than not, they don’t speak of retirement as having left a job and permanently ceasing to work.
Moreover, for many of us “seniors,” retirement implies shifting into a new phase of life that reflects having made the choice to disengage from a former daily work routine and transitioning into experiences often viewed as less demanding and more pleasurable.
I recall that back in the 1950s, retirement was celebrated as a goal, in and of itself, and was often rewarded with the infamous “gold watch” marking years of devoted service.
Nowadays, we’ve become more aware that if one simply stops working while having no plan for meaningful activity in the future, one risks encountering malaise secondary to a lack of fulfillment. This can be countered by using our wisdom and experience in the service of others.
Perhaps it’s time to rename the act of retirement. Hence, it better reflects the transitioning into a new life phase wherein we exhibit more personal choice and control over the means by which we serve others (i.e., maturation).
In 2006, by definition, I retired from 20 years of practicing psychotherapy and counseling to partner with my wife in the operation of a local bed and breakfast.
During my counseling career, I often shared with clients a model of wellness that involved identifying one’s relative degree of health in six life areas and what behaviors would contribute to improvement in each. Clients were asked to consider incorporating activities that they were both good at and enjoyed. Wellness represented a model for becoming our best selves.
And consistently, when examining the state of one’s spiritual health, clients recognized, understood, and valued the greatest commandment — to love both God and neighbor. By adopting that perspective, we all may age more gracefully into an ongoing, purposeful life.
Peter Wibell, Rutledge