Retirement, My Heartfelt Message to all Baby Boomers’, Friends and Foes

creator Aging Creative  Contemplating retirement is a long and arduous process for some. There are the usual topics one must consider like health, security, sustainability, and personal pleasures. When I decided to assess each, I felt there must be a measurable formula that predicts when you know it is right.

When is the right time?    Will I be ready?     And what will I do?

I first searched to find the most inspirational quote, on retirement for which I discovered was nonexistent. I even made a list of synonyms taken from a thesaurus on the word, retire, which only confused and depressed me.----I present these to be the top 10 out of 50 listed and all objectionable:

  • depart
  • withdraw
  • regress
  • resign
  • deny oneself
  • go to bed
  • seclude oneself
  • sever connections
  • stop working
  • turn in

Imagine those retirees who have lived a life through examples of commitment, sacrifice, experience,  strong work ethic, and generosity now reduced to words that speak to isolation, defeat, apathy, and surrender.  

I say, “Embrace the following antonyms!” 

  • advance
  • endure
  • persist
  • stay
  • support
  • arrive
  • come in
  • increase
  • join

My decision to retire my job position this new year became founded on simply, taking a leap of faith. After weighing all possibilities, what motivated me in my decision was, I want to continue to do the things that matter to me but with fewer boundaries and more open opportunities.

Attaining success is not just something practical to the young, who have more time to perfect their goals, but afforded as well to mature individuals who continue to find the value in moving ahead.

So, by the time you are reading this, I will officially have handed in my keys to the job that I have loved for the past seven years and a career that I found satisfying and rewarding. My leaving is bittersweet and saying goodbye to my clients, their families, my staff, and coworkers, and to all the countless people that have ventured in and out of the Senior Friendship Centers, I will miss our time together at the Livingroom.

I will end this with sharing a message to all those baby boomers out there, friends and foes,

Retire is simply:

Recharge your dreams
Embrace your past
Teach those that can learn from you and all you have learned from others
Ignite your passions
Relinquish the fears that have held you back
Evolve every day

 And remember to  “Embrace the antonyms!” Jubilación!!!  

Jill recently retired from the Senior Friendship Centers as their Director Of Adult Day Services and looks forward to focusing on All the things Aging Creative has to offer.  


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