ABSTRACT
You might observe that we did not begin this chapter with a humorous quip, for retirement and aging are not funny. Ecclesiastes 3:4 reminds us that there is a time to mourn, and a time to dance. Well, retirement is a time when both occur simultaneously, for when we leave the world that has defined us and has been part of our identity for most of our adult lives, we must pass through the process of grief. There will be ups and downs in the months ahead just as there is when we lose a significant person or even a beloved pet. It will be filled with the work of grieving that must be done in order to take us fully into the next stage of our lives. Without taking time out to grieve we risk getting stuck in our former world, longing for it to return. At the same time, it will be filled with many, many opportunities. Now that we are unencumbered by daily responsibilities, we can dance with new “partners,” for we are now liberated to pursue the varied interests and talents we buried over the years or had never even considered for lack of time or energy. There are now myriad opportunities to find new and meaningful activities that will allow you to continue to impact the world and fulfill your needs. You have the blessing of choice: you can get out there and taste the world or just sit around playing computer games and napping in front of the television. They say that old age is not for sissies. Well, neither is retirement. As indicated time after time in this book, a door in your life has closed; but there is a new one waiting to be opened. On the other side of that new door awaits another life filled with a vast array of possibilities-ones that could even take a retired clergyperson like you far away from the world of congregational or organizational life. Perhaps it could bring you even closer to God through self-awareness and service to humanity.
