After Retirement - Then What?
The Role of Passion and Purpose #117
As a young woman, I was passionate about - devoted to - my family, work, and personal development.
I also determined that my purpose - how I wanted to contribute in life - was through teaching.
I pursued those passions and purpose for years. We raised a family, faced challenges, and had careers. Dan was a draftsman, engineer, and field supervisor. I was an elementary school librarian, counselor, teacher, and intern supervisor.
The children became adults, and retirement age arrived, but we continued to work. Dan’s dementia progressed, he lost his job, and my work evaporated. My passion and purpose melded into a single focus - caring for him.
After his death, I was at a crossroads.
The family didn’t need me in the same way; I didn’t have the energy or desire to find a new job, and my life partner was no longer here. I was a single woman for the first time in my life. What should I, could I, do next?
I’d tried writing projects several times over the years but needed more energy and persistence to be successful. I developed an online course, wrote articles for an agency, and had a website but I gave up too soon.
They say when life closes a door, another opens - and it did. The caregiving experience and Dan’s death created a new passion.
I fervently wanted to share our experience with others - to educate them so they might avoid the same mistakes we made and be better prepared to age well.
The newsletter was born when my teaching purpose met this new passion. My life has meaning again, and I’m committed to writing articles for as long as possible. I have a new reason to get up in the morning.
William Shakespeare’s quote, “The meaning of life is to find your gift,” inspired my friend, Annie.
She sees her gift - her passion - as working with roses. She says, “they aren’t hard to grow, but they require attention and commitment.” I enjoyed her gift firsthand as I watched her lovingly tend to her roses - we lived next door.
When her husband died, Annie moved to a retirement community. The community had a small memory garden of a “dozen pitiful-looking roses,” nearby.
Seeing the roses struggle and knowing someone had forgotten was heartbreaking for her. So, Annie transplanted the rose bushes within the community property. Today, she cares for 75 of them - two-thirds are dedicated to former residents. Her passion for roses has become a ministry.
She says, “knowing that my passion, my purpose, is helping to heal others, gets me up and moving. I’ll work the rose garden as long as I live if I have to scoot on my butt to do it.”
Anyone retired or approaching retirement may find themselves at a similar crossroads. Our passion and purpose ate the inspiration that keeps us going and on the path to aging well.
Two articles I wanted to share this week:
Self-Love - Self-love means appreciating yourself, highly regarding your well-being, and caring for your physical, mental, and spiritual growth.
A Daughter’s Return - You are missing a unique story if you haven’t met Bartle and Louvina Clunes.
Sharron, My pleasure. I loved Bartle. It spoke to me of a different time - one that is missing today. Your travels are amazing and I love reading about them as well.
"Our passion and purpose are the inspiration that keeps us going." Oh yes, Janice! At my age (really really old) I feel my purpose has been successfully fulfilled by a life time of service in education. Now I can focus on pure passion. I wake up every morning ( thank all the gods ) get a cup of coffee and sit down to write! Finally I can just focus on fiction, and not worry about having to sell it. If anyone finds 🍁Leaves -- a tiny needle in the huge Substack haystack, I hope I can entertain them, make them laugh or break their hearts. It is what I live for now that my "work" is done. Thanks for confirming for me that this is GOOD! And thanks a thousand times for your shoutout for Bartle Clunes in this post. It means the world to me to have your vote of confidence, my friend. Thank you for always inspiring us.