It’s an uncomfortable space to be in: the middle. With a career behind you and who-knows-what ahead, it is a place that feels lost and unsettling. Having retired from teaching over a year ago now, I’ve lived in this middle, liminal space. I thought it was a space to get through and get done with.… Continue reading Living in the “in between”
Author: Caroline@retiredandnowwhat.ca
I'm a life coach discovering the opportunities and growth in midlife and beyond.
We All Need Play
Play has often been reserved for children and considered something superficial once our lives are filled with grown-up concerns. As an elementary school teacher, I arranged my science lessons as play-based investigations. The students would have fun exploring stable structures and quickly learn how to create a secure base with the materials. However, play is… Continue reading We All Need Play
Beyond The Grocery List: An Antidote To Over-Thinking
I love a list! They give me that sense of accomplishment and organize my day. When I was teaching, I used them all the time to keep track of the vast number of things I needed to do in a day. As I try to make decisions about my next steps after retiring, I often… Continue reading Beyond The Grocery List: An Antidote To Over-Thinking
“You Are Not Alone”
“You are not alone.” This is one of the most powerful statements I’ve ever heard. Knowing that my experience and struggles are shared by others, brings us all into a community. We share the same challenges and therefore feel less isolated. We don’t even need to talk to each other. Just knowing that we exist… Continue reading “You Are Not Alone”
No News Is Good News
My mother has a saying that applies to people who are far away from us, “No news is good news.” It implies that if the news about our loved ones is bad, we will hear about it. Bad news travels quickly and good news does not. Therefore, no news means they are safe. These days… Continue reading No News Is Good News
Libraries: More Than Just Books
Somehow I forgot that public libraries are more than just books. I’ve always had a library card. These days I borrow my books digitally and only occasionally step foot inside a library. I used to recommend the summer library reading programmes to my students. I was aware that they had more to offer others but,… Continue reading Libraries: More Than Just Books
From Scarcity To Abundance
It takes conscious effort for me to turn from the prevailing perspective of scarcity. It’s easy to feel afraid because of the way things are in the world today. The economy, climate change, and artificial intelligence cause most people to feel like they’re losing things that are precious to them: financial security, a healthy planet… Continue reading From Scarcity To Abundance
Acquired Disabilities And Cool Devices
Do you have your computer glasses yet? I didn’t even realize that they were a necessity until I started running into other people my age who had them. While discussing our mortgage with the woman in the bank, she squinted at her computer screen for a second before turning to put on her computer glasses.… Continue reading Acquired Disabilities And Cool Devices
Love What You Do
What do you love doing so much that the words failure and success essentially become irrelevant?” ― Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear. I loved teaching this way. I remember being embarrassed that I was earning a paycheque when I taught my first kindergarten class. I was enjoying what I was doing so much, I… Continue reading Love What You Do
Patient Persistence
I need to be very patient to access my family doctor these days. I am grateful that I still have a family doctor. But, since my old doctor sold her practice a couple of years ago, the doctor that bought it has changed with the times. She’s added nurse practitioners, medical administrators, a call centre-like… Continue reading Patient Persistence
Retired, And Now What? 