Refusing to Fade

February 9, 2015

For those who imagine retirement as the beginning of the end, I have news; that's not even close! It is instead, a new beginning, an open door to places, opportunities, and experiences heretofore denied by the responsibilities of raising families and holding down a job. The time may come when we do little more than sit on the porch, rocking our lives away, but that day hasn't even appeared on the horizon yet.

All of that is but a short introduction to my thanksgiving for today. I am so grateful to be married to the woman who by some breach of sanity said "yes" to my proposal of marriage on December 30, 1969. Linda has put up for decades with the joys and trials of my work, and more than a quarter century ago, after being out of academia for some years and not believing she was smart enough to do graduate work, went back to school and earned her master's degree in Special Education with a 4.0 cumulative average. Her dedication to hard work and her ability to work with difficult children meant that she was often given the most challenging students. She never flinched. Linda is an activist; she isn't one to sit around doing nothing. As a matter of fact, it even bothers her if I sit around for any length of time. Her motto is, "If you're breathing, you ought to be moving." When she retired three years ago, she wasn't sure how she was going to fill her days. Rest easy; she fills them up quite adequately, and with meaningful stuff. But the best part is her willingness to embrace new challenges.

Last fall, she inquired about an exercise class for women called "Healthy Bones." It targets women who are at risk for osteopenia or osteoporosis. The instructor was her old high school phys ed teacher, who told her she ought to take the training to lead the class herself. Despite having no experience in this sort of thing, she went ahead and took the training, culminating in her leading a class of about fifteen women. She plans on leading another class in the spring.

Just after Christmas, she confided that she had been toying with the idea of taking piano lessons. She had done this as a child, but hadn't seriously touched a keyboard in nearly fifty years. We did a little research and bought an electric piano shortly after the new year. She contacted the woman who taught our daughter years ago, and about a month ago began her lessons. I can't express how it makes me feel when I hear her practicing, other than how proud I am of her and her eagerness to stretch and grow instead of merely playing it safe and staying with what is familiar and comfortable. Tonight I am grateful for my wife Linda, who in retirement is reinventing herself and refusing to simply fade away. I am indeed, a blessed man!