I retired in October, 2018! After 37 years of working for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints magazines in various assignments, I felt it was time for a new chapter in my life.
I loved my job, working first as a word processor preparing manuscripts for typesetting, upgrading as technology changed, and ending up as a combination of publications assistant and editor and writer for the youth magazine: The New Era. I had amazing, sweet, treasured experiences all along the way.
I also loved the people I associated with: incredibly talented, kind, creative editors, writers, designers, and artists. Because of their support and encouragement I was able to accomplish things I had only vaguely dreamed of when I started working full-time at age 26.
It was truly my dream job!
The months leading up to retirement were difficult! Closing out my assignments, preparing an in-depth list of how to do my assignments, worrying because they hadn't yet hired someone for my position, saying farewell to loved co-workers, and wondering how things would work financially as well as figuring out a completely new routine was emotionally draining.
However, both David and I felt that the time had come for me to be home. His mood over the last two years has been stable, with regular bouts of depression and anxiety. But as he ages, he needs to have me home to encourage him and keep him stable.
David is doing well at keeping to his routine of going to the gym in the mornings for two hours, then coming home, fixing brunch together, and taking Lucy the dog for a walk. Since it's cold outside and his shoulder has been bothering him a great deal, he spends the afternoon and evening watching television.
At three months into this new stage of life, he is benefitting from having me home, and I am enjoying the change of pace. I delight in working around the house (which desperately needs deep-cleaning and dejunking), and having time to enjoy family and friends, as well as doing small acts of service. I also spend some time reading, writing, and playing around with needlework projects. I am giving myself the gift of time to adjust, making sure I have time to myself to do the things I like to do. For example, this Christmas season was a revelation! I loved having the leisure of baking, decorating, visiting, etc. at my own pace instead of rushing to try to fit it all in as one more thing to do.
David and I decided to celebrate this new stage with a road trip that included Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada. We spent a glorious 15 days traveling and site-seeing at a slow pace. It was exactly what we needed! We had both worried about how David would fare away from home, with the change of pace and new experiences. He loved it! He had at most a few mild anxiety episodes and a few days when he slept while I drove, but he mostly adjusted well. When we came home, he said, "That was fun! When are we doing another road trip, and where should we go?" We have several ideas in mind for the coming year.
I so love this new phase!
I loved my job, working first as a word processor preparing manuscripts for typesetting, upgrading as technology changed, and ending up as a combination of publications assistant and editor and writer for the youth magazine: The New Era. I had amazing, sweet, treasured experiences all along the way.
I also loved the people I associated with: incredibly talented, kind, creative editors, writers, designers, and artists. Because of their support and encouragement I was able to accomplish things I had only vaguely dreamed of when I started working full-time at age 26.
It was truly my dream job!
The months leading up to retirement were difficult! Closing out my assignments, preparing an in-depth list of how to do my assignments, worrying because they hadn't yet hired someone for my position, saying farewell to loved co-workers, and wondering how things would work financially as well as figuring out a completely new routine was emotionally draining.
David is doing well at keeping to his routine of going to the gym in the mornings for two hours, then coming home, fixing brunch together, and taking Lucy the dog for a walk. Since it's cold outside and his shoulder has been bothering him a great deal, he spends the afternoon and evening watching television.
At three months into this new stage of life, he is benefitting from having me home, and I am enjoying the change of pace. I delight in working around the house (which desperately needs deep-cleaning and dejunking), and having time to enjoy family and friends, as well as doing small acts of service. I also spend some time reading, writing, and playing around with needlework projects. I am giving myself the gift of time to adjust, making sure I have time to myself to do the things I like to do. For example, this Christmas season was a revelation! I loved having the leisure of baking, decorating, visiting, etc. at my own pace instead of rushing to try to fit it all in as one more thing to do.
David and I decided to celebrate this new stage with a road trip that included Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada. We spent a glorious 15 days traveling and site-seeing at a slow pace. It was exactly what we needed! We had both worried about how David would fare away from home, with the change of pace and new experiences. He loved it! He had at most a few mild anxiety episodes and a few days when he slept while I drove, but he mostly adjusted well. When we came home, he said, "That was fun! When are we doing another road trip, and where should we go?" We have several ideas in mind for the coming year.
I so love this new phase!
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