Consent, Before Gifting The Kids

Photo by Marco Bianchetti on Pexels.com

I don’t think I’d even heard of the concept of consent until I was well into my adult years. The idea that everyone, regardless of their status and power, has the right to choose how others interact with them, was something that had been a vague, undefined concept in my mind.  I was raised at… Continue reading Consent, Before Gifting The Kids

The Secret Holiday

Photo by u015eeydanur u00d6zmen on Pexels.com

Recently, a friend shared that she was astounded by her friend’s 50th birthday choice: a secret holiday.  He took himself away from his family (wife and kids) for a 2 week holiday at a secret location that he didn’t share with, or talk to anyone about, before or after he went.* He wanted to travel… Continue reading The Secret Holiday

Goodbye Miss

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

Transforming from a teacher into something new is not as simple as saying goodbye to your last class of students, and heading off into the sunset of Summer vacation. Perhaps not surprisingly, nothing at all happens to you over your first summer after retiring. Nothing. It feels like every summer you’ve ever experienced in your… Continue reading Goodbye Miss

Life Is Different Now

Photo by Chris F on Pexels.com

Life will not be easier when you retire. There. I’ve said it. Despite what financial institutions might tell you in their ads about living a free and easy life, life isn’t easier. It’s different. The Good Stuff There are many, benefits. The flexibility to do things when you want to and not when your job… Continue reading Life Is Different Now

The Power Of Age

Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com

Getting older is a good thing. I know that can be difficult to believe at times when you look in the mirror and barely recognize the face looking back at you. People will say that they feel the same inside as they did when they were 30 or 40 years younger. But do they really?… Continue reading The Power Of Age

Giving Yourself Permission To Be Happier

Photo by Jessika Arraes on Pexels.com

Every year I wish her a happy birthday. She rarely replies and we don’t communicate for the rest of the year. We used to work together many years ago. Do you think it’s ok to stop messaging her? By midlife, often the only one stopping us from feeling happier is ourselves. We don’t give ourselves… Continue reading Giving Yourself Permission To Be Happier

Why Do I Need Purpose?

Expedition 60 Flight Engineer Christina Koch of NASA by NASA Johnson is licensed under CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0

Find something that you can do slow, that you can do forever and still love it, that still gives you meaning.” – Christina Koch, Artemis II astronaut Why do I need purpose after I retire?  Can’t I spend the rest of my days enjoying my life – just living it?  What’s wrong with that?  I… Continue reading Why Do I Need Purpose?

How Old Is A Senior?

Photo by Thu1edbi Nam Cao on Pexels.com

It’s tough getting past your own ageism. There are so many cards and jokes about getting older and being old. It’s something that we’ve been encouraged to run from since we were kids. We were told that it’s rude to ask an adult their age. It’s no wonder that we have a tough time accepting… Continue reading How Old Is A Senior?

Unlearning To Live With My Cup At Capacity

Photo by Los Muertos Crew on Pexels.com

I know that it’s not healthy to live with my cup at capacity all the time, with my nervous system fully activated. There are good reasons why I’ve ignored the overwhelm and continued to push through, such as supporting someone through illness, or teaching through a pandemic. However, when the immediate crisis was over and… Continue reading Unlearning To Live With My Cup At Capacity

Travel Changes Me

Travel has a deep impact on my life. It’s not just about reconnecting with family and friends, and visiting the sites, it’s also about immersing myself in a different way of living, even for just a short while.  It gives me more than just a new experience and some great pictures to take home. It… Continue reading Travel Changes Me