Life is filled with change and compromise, both planned and unplanned. As we have discussed, our reaction to this change plays a significant part in its impact on our lives. To this effect, I often think of my 75-year-old father, Sam, who has been retired for the last ten years. Initially, my family and I were concerned about how well he’d take to retired life. This was a man who’d spent the bulk of his life working various jobs, from a state inspector to a plumber to eventually starting his own business, all the while supporting and providing for our family. It was not simply his skill at a single job that drove him to work so tirelessly, but instead, a lifelong work ethic that offered both peace of mind and purpose. My father’s familial role was tied so heavily to being a provider that I had to wonder: Who would he be without it?
Yet, in the face of this change, my father proved to be the person he always was: someone driven by action and purpose. He embraced new hobbies like woodworking and golfing. Between the various household projects or time spent on the golf course or with family, my father’s post-retirement life has proved to be just as productive and fulfilling as his working days. Despite being unaccustomed to a life without employment, my father embraced this change and reworked his new situation into something that would meet his needs and lifestyle. When we open ourselves up to change, we uncover new and unforeseen possibilities within ourselves. My father’s retirement was not merely the end of a career but instead, an opportunity to grow and discover new favorites in the process of great and personal change.