I can't believe it's been 11 months since I blogged. I can barely call myself a writer any more. But then, I am retired. What is retirement? I call it chaos mixed with freedom, a special blend that gave this year its special flavor.
Being retired offers time for everything that really matters, like my grandchildren, my extended family, and my dear friends. I was available to help keep my grands--three, five, and seven--occupied during summer vacation, long weekends, parental trips (Puerto Rico this year!). I watched them grow steadily into their next phases, marveling at each one's special graces. When my Uncle Gordon died this summer, I was there to be with his wife and children, to help with his memorial, and to share some great memories. I took two trips with friends this year, one to share my hometown, and one to share a great city, and I am looking forward to more of the same.
Perhaps the most important thing I did this year I did in January, just as soon as Georgia Southern loosened the strings: I traveled to Huntsville to see my half-brother, whom I had not seen in 18 years. When Facebook became part of life, we were online "friends," so he saw photos of me, I saw his wedding photos, and we applauded each other at a distance. With 30 years difference in our ages, I
wasn't sure what a face-to-face meeting would be like. I needn't have worried, because it was almost as if we had never been apart. He's like our Dad--about as much as I am--but his own person, and for that I am grateful. He is kind, reasonable, capable, hardworking, knowledgeable about a lot of things, and best of all, he married a wonderful woman. Because of our re-connection, he was there to visit Uncle Gordon over Memorial Day, and then to be with the family for his memorial service. He'll be getting visits from our aunt, cousins, and I hope he'll be with my family for Thanksgiving. Welcome home, brother!
I've castigated myself this year for not doing what I'd promised myself I'd do: write a book. Over the summer I did some interviews that will provide a beginning of my text about reconstructing the Presque Isle Lighthouse, but I had something of a different nature in mind. I really want to produce a novel. There. I said it. Not exactly out loud, but on "paper," so anyone who reads this can come back and prod me to get to work. The framework is in my brain, but as I continually remind myself, my brain is certainly not readable. Put it on paper, I say. And I procrastinate and blog instead.
Chaos this year has been constant: travel from home to Savannah to Erie to Greenville to Black Mountain to Florida to Erie to Savannah and so on. The car accident (3/4-ton truck took out my passenger side after rolling through a stop sign) in Erie on Sept. 2 didn't help anything: I was grounded for 30 days until the world's slowest insurance company and the world's best collision company finally completed repairs. I came home to Hurricane Matthew--a good time to enjoy my Savannah-based family (including cats and fish)--and other delights. Dr. Wiggins, I'll fast longer before next year's colonscopy, I promise!
This fall, after our stewardship campaign, Trinity's priest encouraged us to do a "30 days of thanksgiving" exercise on FB. Well, I am not good at doing something every day, or every week, but I've been trying to post regularly about the blessing in my life. It's not difficult. In fact, the hardest thing is to narrow down the blessings I am going to list for that day. And that's just a long way of saying that God has blessed me in more ways than I can possible count. Retirement--with its chaos and freedom--is a big one.
I can wish for less chaos next year, but who knows if I will get it? I only know that each day of retirement holds more than I can possibly accomplish. I wouldn't have it any other way!
Being retired offers time for everything that really matters, like my grandchildren, my extended family, and my dear friends. I was available to help keep my grands--three, five, and seven--occupied during summer vacation, long weekends, parental trips (Puerto Rico this year!). I watched them grow steadily into their next phases, marveling at each one's special graces. When my Uncle Gordon died this summer, I was there to be with his wife and children, to help with his memorial, and to share some great memories. I took two trips with friends this year, one to share my hometown, and one to share a great city, and I am looking forward to more of the same.
Perhaps the most important thing I did this year I did in January, just as soon as Georgia Southern loosened the strings: I traveled to Huntsville to see my half-brother, whom I had not seen in 18 years. When Facebook became part of life, we were online "friends," so he saw photos of me, I saw his wedding photos, and we applauded each other at a distance. With 30 years difference in our ages, I
wasn't sure what a face-to-face meeting would be like. I needn't have worried, because it was almost as if we had never been apart. He's like our Dad--about as much as I am--but his own person, and for that I am grateful. He is kind, reasonable, capable, hardworking, knowledgeable about a lot of things, and best of all, he married a wonderful woman. Because of our re-connection, he was there to visit Uncle Gordon over Memorial Day, and then to be with the family for his memorial service. He'll be getting visits from our aunt, cousins, and I hope he'll be with my family for Thanksgiving. Welcome home, brother!
I've castigated myself this year for not doing what I'd promised myself I'd do: write a book. Over the summer I did some interviews that will provide a beginning of my text about reconstructing the Presque Isle Lighthouse, but I had something of a different nature in mind. I really want to produce a novel. There. I said it. Not exactly out loud, but on "paper," so anyone who reads this can come back and prod me to get to work. The framework is in my brain, but as I continually remind myself, my brain is certainly not readable. Put it on paper, I say. And I procrastinate and blog instead.
Chaos this year has been constant: travel from home to Savannah to Erie to Greenville to Black Mountain to Florida to Erie to Savannah and so on. The car accident (3/4-ton truck took out my passenger side after rolling through a stop sign) in Erie on Sept. 2 didn't help anything: I was grounded for 30 days until the world's slowest insurance company and the world's best collision company finally completed repairs. I came home to Hurricane Matthew--a good time to enjoy my Savannah-based family (including cats and fish)--and other delights. Dr. Wiggins, I'll fast longer before next year's colonscopy, I promise!
This fall, after our stewardship campaign, Trinity's priest encouraged us to do a "30 days of thanksgiving" exercise on FB. Well, I am not good at doing something every day, or every week, but I've been trying to post regularly about the blessing in my life. It's not difficult. In fact, the hardest thing is to narrow down the blessings I am going to list for that day. And that's just a long way of saying that God has blessed me in more ways than I can possible count. Retirement--with its chaos and freedom--is a big one.
I can wish for less chaos next year, but who knows if I will get it? I only know that each day of retirement holds more than I can possibly accomplish. I wouldn't have it any other way!
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