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
Author: Caroline@retiredandnowwhat.ca
I'm a life coach discovering the opportunities and growth in midlife and beyond.
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
The Multi-Generational Home
It has been said recently, that this latest generation of new adults has it worse-off financially than several of the generations before them.* Those of us who have retired benefitted from the growth and comfort of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Today’s new adults are struggling to afford the basics in life: shelter,… Continue reading The Multi-Generational Home
A Grey Blob Day
Waking up to see yet another grey sky on a Monday morning is not an inspiring sight. I’m an emotional dresser and I choose clothes that reflect how I’m feeling on the inside. Today, it was a grey blob. It wasn’t until a caught sight of myself in the mirror that I realized what I’d… Continue reading A Grey Blob Day
A Checklist Of Retirement Experiences
Retirement websites often distill retired life to a list of things that you can check off one-by-one.* From a tired, working person’s perspective, it’s an enticing list of wonderful possibilities. I’ve found that it over-simplifies the process of retiring. It makes retirement look like an endless holiday where you get to do all your favourite… Continue reading A Checklist Of Retirement Experiences
I Have Time But I’m Always Late
It’s a conundrum, a puzzle. How can I have all the time in the world but constantly be late for things? It doesn’t make sense. I think it’s a time management problem. But I didn’t have this problem as often when my time was dominated by working full-time. These days when I have a definite… Continue reading I Have Time But I’m Always Late
Growing Into A New Skin
Today is tattoo day for me. I’m getting my second tattoo and I’m nervous and excited. You might find it unexpected that a retired person should start getting tattoos. You might criticize me for getting one. Avoiding such criticism has often caused me to choose not to do something that I might otherwise have enjoyed.… Continue reading Growing Into A New Skin
The Power Of Trees
I wouldn’t describe myself as “outdoorsy,” but walking in nature has a positive effect on me. I go for daily walks with the dog but I’ve noticed there is a big difference in how I feel during and after a walk, if it’s in a natural setting. Walking along the street in my neighbourhood or… Continue reading The Power Of Trees
Retired, And Now What? 