Taking Stock in Your Seventies – When the Time is Right to Retire.

The idea of having a comfortable retirement is becoming harder to realize due to financial challenges of stopping work and the perceived need to stay mentally active through work. Regardless, older working adults can be forced to step down from full-time employment, due to position elimination or for cause type separations (maybe due to declining mental acuity – really?). Yes, retiring may also be necessary due to health reasons or to care for a family member.

I decided last October to give up my Human Resources job with the local Salvation Army, where I had served for the past six years, so I could spend more time helping my wife deal with some health challenges she was facing. At first, it was difficult to leave, as I was in good health and still able to well manage the full-time job responsibilities. The extra income was helpful too. Then there were the frequent work interruptions for medical appointments, taking care of urgent matters at home and so forth. Now that was stressful!

Over time, and with much prayer and reflection, as well as having some of the lived experience of being retired, it became very clear to me that this action was the right thing at the right time. I could now fulfill my responsibilities to care for what God puts in front of me, in this case, my wife after five decades of marriage. Having the wisdom stemming from our faith to know what to do in life is a precious gift from God. 

My self-imposed retirement date was January 10^th, and while the immediate sense of freedom was great, getting past the various hurdles facing me was a test, thinking I might just piddle around, doing this or that, or use the time to find new and different ways to help others, with my primary focus on my wife and her needs.  Staying productive each day has been a priority including managing a household budget; while reminding myself I need to relax some and enjoy retirement. I walk our dog Bear twice a day, which he looks forward to as I do. Heck, if Bear doesn’t want to go for a walk, I’ll go without him. It’s all about balance, or so they say.

In your seventies, planning for the future means thinking you might live maybe 15-20 more years yet knowing that is not likely to materialize. So, life could end much sooner, maybe due to declining health or because of an accident. Got to get the will updated, protect your assets, watch your spending, downsize when you can, and overthink the daylights out of this retirement life.  Enough for now, time to wake up my wife, make breakfast, catch up on the news, and work on my to-do list for today.  Yes, I have a purpose, having already prayed this morning, and pretending that I have kicked back, and basking in the retirement life, maybe one day… 

Have a Blessed Day!