Retirement Eligible

Friday will be my 59th birthday!!! It's amazing to me that so much time has gone by and so many events have taken place in my life. So many people have entered into and departed from my life. Most of my recalled past stirs up my emotions. Occasionally it's like watching a television show while thinking "did I really do that?" There have been missed steps, few regrets, great travels and lots of fun, love, tears and laughter along the way. My career took a lot of time and led me in directions I wouldn't have imagined. I devoted 10 years of college towards it. I gained autonomy, climbed ladders, and led others. I created positions that hadn't existed and made them integral to the everyday workings of the organizations where I worked. I became a teacher and a mentor. I learned some important life lessons and met some incredible colleagues and personalities. As I look back, I'm proud of what I've accomplished.

In 2 days I will be "retirement eligible". What an exciting upcoming event! There really is payoff for putting in your 30 years of work. I now am eligible to leave my employment and to continue receiving income. What a concept! I remember all of the long ago discussions with my dad about preparing for this time, not taking it seriously in my 20s. Somewhere in my 30s it just became a part of the package at work. It was easy to do a little research, to make some choices and the process began. In spite of the economic changes over the years, I've still reached a place where it's going to pay off. The decision to retire has been interesting. I was really excited to talk to our benefits manager. I had a few scary moments thinking about letting go. Then I went to work the next day and it was clear it was time to move on. Life is pulling me in different directions.

What's most interesting are the responses I get from others. Of course there are the "I don't want you to leave" responses from those I work with every day. It's nice to feel wanted. Then there is the usual "what are you going to do". I don't think that's going to be an issue. An interesting one was "don't you want to escape from everything in life". I don't think work has been an escape, it's just a part of life.

Well anyway, I'm on the short countdown to retirement. I'm retirement eligible in another day. And I've targeted 2 months before I actually depart. What an exciting phase of life!