Today, I pick my hubby up at the airport. When we get back home, a September filled with vacations is officially over and life returns to our new normal. I’m ready for it. The vacations – two for me – were absolutely fabulous and I enjoyed every second. But now? It’s time for life here in the not-so-backwoods to slow down. For me, that also means retirement starts in earnest.
Now, over the past two weeks, a few gigs have kicked in which may delay my proposed full retirement to the end of November, but I’m okay with it. They are projects I want to do and projects that should be both challenging and fun. More than that? They are time-limited. Nothing is better than a short, low-intensity, time-limited project.
As for the rest of life? It’s time to simplify – again. The garden is just about fallow, the leaves are starting to turn and I’ll be honest, I’ve started to mow the grass a notch lower to “assist” with the yard also going dormant. With nights dropping below 50 degrees, that also helps. Mostly, however, it’s getting darker earlier and earlier. Nothing makes two responsibility junkies slow down just a little bit than early darkness. You can’t work so hard outside when Mother Nature turns off the lights early.
When I talk about loving fall, I often wonder if this isn’t the part I love the most. Summer is fun and it blows your doors off but there is this incentive to soak up every good second outdoors. As a result, it’s a bit too stimulating sometimes. When fall rolls around? Life gets easier. I’m ready for easier.
I’m also ready for a new routine. That’s something that back-to-school time always harkens, even if the last time you cracked a schoolbook was over 30 years ago. I love the steady routine of life in fall. As I slide into retirement, I also know that routines will be a huge part of my day. By having and keeping one, I’ll keep our lives on track and avoid the loss of identity that retirement can sometimes bring.
All told, I feel incredibly lucky and incredibly grateful these days. It really is a great time in my life and I actually plan to let it sink in and enjoy it. While I wish my husband could enjoy it with me, it’s simply not possible and I’m committed to making this time better for him as well, even if he is still working. (Okay, so it may only be marginally better, but I think he’s even starting to see the benefits.)
Upon reflection, I realize I grew up lucky. A charmed childhood with good friends and a strong family, adventures in my college years I wouldn’t trade, a hard-fought and a hard-won career but few get to say they were a CEO and I was one for 12 years. Marrying the love of my life, if not a little later in life than we intended. And now, an early retirement in a house we painstakingly remodeled top-to-bottom to make it our own. The health of my family, the love we share and the integrity of the work we do are the true rewards.
As I attempt to simplify yet again, I can see the progress those other attempts made and I recognize now that it was not a linear process. Each fit and start brought us a little closer to the next stage of simple and calm. This start? Feels like it should take us close to the finish line so we can simply relax and enjoy from now on. There were times on this road when I lost heart or grew frustrated but now? Now, I see the true rewards of our efforts – personally, professionally and otherwise.
It’s time to fall back to a more simple life and enjoy the harvest of a life well-lived.
