Considering that I’ve always lived on the same planet, I have managed to stay remarkably ignorant of its countries. Sure, I can find where I am on the globe, and the places that I’ve visited, but that’s about it. Sadly, most of my knowledge is extremely North American and Euro-centric. Challenging My Ignorance. A year… Continue reading Where In The World Is…
Author: Caroline@retiredandnowwhat.ca
I'm a life coach discovering the opportunities and growth in midlife and beyond.
Do What Scares You
It’s easy to become complacent and settle when you retire. You get pushed along by the rhythm of the day, and suddenly a week, a month and a season has rolled by. I could feel it happening to me and I didn’t like it. In an attempt to grow, I chose to do something that… Continue reading Do What Scares You
Healing My Relationship With Plants
I found myself talking regularly to the orchid in my bathroom, when it bloomed during the dead of winter. Its bright yellow and fuchsia blooms lifted my spirits when everything outside was frozen. I know they say that talking to your plants is good for them, but I’ve found that it’s been good for me… Continue reading Healing My Relationship With Plants
Why persistence matters when you don’t see any gains
It’s hard to start new things, but it’s often even harder to persist with them, especially when it doesn’t look like you’re achieving anything. As a teacher, I had a career of persistence: I showed up and did my best without many signals that I was achieving anything. Teaching Is Persisting. No Extra Money. No… Continue reading Why persistence matters when you don’t see any gains
Truly Listening
I don’t know why it surprises me, but I still have so much to learn. Often the stuff I have to learn is not new stuff. It’s not stuff that I’ve never heard about before. It’s the basics: easy things that are hard to follow through on. This past week, it was listening. Listening. Yup,… Continue reading Truly Listening
State Your Age
It’s a little disconcerting to be at a family gathering and be faced with the fact that you’re part of the oldest generation there. I remember attending big family get-togethers when I was in my late teens and I was asked to sit at the kiddies’ table. Then, the oldest generation walked with canes, sat… Continue reading State Your Age
Greeting Cards Insult
Spring brings many birthdays in my life and I find myself doing the most difficult of tasks: shopping for greeting cards. Greeting cards are supposed to add to the celebration of a birthday or retirement but so often I find that they are backhanded compliments that leave a bad taste in my mouth. The jokes… Continue reading Greeting Cards Insult
A Time To Grieve
Sometimes life gets super-messy. There is nothing like a death in your close circle to stir things up. Everything gets put on hold as you try to support people and cope with your own grief. Not unlike a birth, where folks focus on the pregnancy without much thought of the many years of childcare ahead,… Continue reading A Time To Grieve
Enjoy The Process
It’s a great relief to many teachers that April 1st lands on a Saturday this year. No worries about being pranked by your students and no pressure to find just the right little joke to play on your students. The pressure to perform and meet expectations is real and an opportunity to avoid it, makes… Continue reading Enjoy The Process
All The Lonely People
When I look closely, I can see them sitting in coffee shops, wandering around grocery stores and waiting for the bus: lonely people. Lonely people can be surrounded by others and still feel isolated. It’s the lack of meaningful social connections that leave people feeling abandoned. Loneliness is something I’ve become more aware of now… Continue reading All The Lonely People
Retired, And Now What? 