Letting Go in Retirement…

How do you let go of what has defined you most of your life?

Good question and I have no idea on how to do it yet.

My entire life I said I was going to retire at 62. I wanted to retire early and travel, write, take pictures of exotic things in exotic places, etc. I retired at 62 and I find myself mourning a loss. Although I am glad that I don’t have to stand on my feet for 12- hours and work dangerously short staffed anymore, I miss that rat race.

I miss helping my patients and helping them achieve wonderful outcomes or die with dignity and without pain. This is nursing. I participated in this art for 40 years and now I am trying to let it go and move on to the next chapter. The final chapter of my life.

Isn’t that what retirement is really all about? If you are lucky enough you are able to sit these last 20 or so years out and live a relatively easy life. Or you are doomed to poverty like so many other elder people find themselves at.

I am in the middle. I spent most of my working years going to school and helping my children go to school so I did not save much, yet I am far from starving. I will not be living a life of ease, yet I won’t be on the street asking for money.

Which begs the question, what happens to our aging population that for whatever reason could not save for retirement?

I live on a tight budget and if I splurge on something, I lose something else. So splurging is not an option. I find retirement…