Retirement - I have arrived! - Good or Bad?

by MaryLee
(Florida)

It's been a year tomorrow since I lost my husband. We had such great plans for retirement and now I am facing this alone. The past year was truly hell for me.

I had shoulder surgery, my husband passed, I had a cancer on my face removed, and my company was bought out.

I purchased a house and moved into it this June, as I lived in an apartment and just could not stand the memories there any longer.

I turned 66 last week and retired Sept. 1 of this year.

I have already had a lifetime worth of stress in just one year. Sounds like a country song doesn't it?

I am trying to keep a positive attitude about this thing that they call retirement.

Last week I bought into the cult lifestyle and got a puppy to keep me company. It seems this is the first thing that you do when you are retired. Some people even have two or three dogs. A friend of mine not only has a dog, but she rescued a parrot too. Now her whole condo is set up for the pets comfort.

I'm sure I'll find my way sometime around this new life. I do enjoy not having to get up at the crack of dawn to get ready for work.

The only problem now is my lack of motivation to start anything new.

There were all sorts of things that I thought I wanted to do, but they were things that my husband and I would have been doing together. I just haven't found my niche yet.

If anyone has any suggestions please let me know.

Stumped in Florida (p.s. I am not into playing golf)
I found this website and thought I would give it a try.

Comments for Retirement - I have arrived! - Good or Bad?

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How to Start Your New Retirement?
by: Joe W.

I think that we all experience defeat and bad times in our lives. The key is to muster some courage when you seem to be down on your luck. By purchasing a house I think that your already ahead of many retirees that still are looking for affordable housing.

I suggest that you could attend your local seniors center where a)you could meet some new friends and b) sign up for a bereavement seminar, where there is an opportunity to look at new pathways for a happy retirement.

Good Luck!

Joe W.
enjoying life
by: mark cooke/Ottawa, Canada

here is a book that helped me How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free: Retirement Wisdom That You Won't Get from Your Financial Advisor by Ernie Zelinski check it out its a good book good luck !
Welcome
by: Elna Nugent, Lenox, MA

Dear Mary Lee:

Glad you joined this community.

Do you realize that NOW when you wake up in the morning you can choose to do "ANYTHING you want to do" for that day? This luxury doesn't happen too often in a person's life. Especially women who are used to caring for others almost for a lifetime.

You are in a new home and in a new terrain, so adjusting to everything is enough for a while. If you can go with the flow and not push yourself, you might be surprised how life can open up in ways that are satisfying. Pushing ourselves to do or be or learn or strive often blocks amazing things that can happen when we just allow them to come our way.

Sometimes the hardest things for us humans to do is to make friends with ourselves. When we become a great friend to ourselves, our magnetic field attracts people to us that can blossom into a friendship. We tend to attract what we are.

The very best to you and keep in touch. Blessings.
Hello MaryLee!
by: Wendy

WOW! You certainly had your share of misery in the first year of retirement...

But I really need to say... you've done one helluva job getting back into life again.

A Home. A new Pet. TIme to Live Life Anew.... and you are ready to live life again!

Give yourself a bit of a break... let yourself develop and grow and simply experience life now... as a new homeowner, single woman, dog-mama.

You've been through so much in one year! Take it easy!

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