Life After Retirement

Retirement takes a lot of us by surprise. After traveling a couple of years down the path of my own retirement – and having many conversations with other women – I’m more convinced than ever that retirement holds a lot of unknowns…

Research about our phase of life increasingly views the 60s and 70s as entering an entirely new stage of life, much like adolescence to adulthood is a stage transition. This certainly contrasts with the view of these years being the end of our societal influence…

My first post-retirement article, “The Road Ahead: I Just Retired,” captured my mindset once the dust settled. It’s a good starting point to reflect on my first year of retirement. Looking at reality vs. expectations, the unexpected, and where my thoughts…

For many of the women in this community, the holidays are not easy. We may be facing a holiday without a loved one. We might be apart from our families for whatever reason. We might be having a good holiday season but find ourselves…

Today was a special and very rare day (it will be several days ago by the time you read this, but that is unimportant). Did I win the lottery? Was a new grandchild born? Did my hair suddenly stop being grey?

Are you at a crossroads in your life? Are you stuck in a challenging season and wondering what the future holds? You may be experiencing a “trapeze moment” — a time when you’re hanging on to what’s familiar and just swinging along, day after day…

Many of us grew up in an era where the accepted approach to life was to work really hard to be successful at our chosen role and take care of responsibilities. Then, like magic, at 65 we get to stop and make up for all the “fun” we put off…

To quote one of my very favorite and famous beloved female comedians, Gilda Radner’s character, Roseannadanna, “It just goes to show you, it’s always something – if it ain’t one thing, it’s another!” I regularly re-quote Roseannadanna’s…

Some years ago, at the age of 61, I quit my job, rented out my flat and flew to Australia to research my family history. It was not an easy business. In the days before Airbnb and other similar organisations made letting so much more flexible…

In a previous article I addressed three things about retirement that can take us by surprise. The next topic worth examining, as you consider your life during retirement, is a simple question that’s loaded with possibility: What are you yearning for?