Category: Inspirational

So part of this whole retirement thing- whether experienced personally or walking alongside your mate – is the reality that we are not getting any younger.  And along with that comes a few(more) gray hairs, aches and pains, and the spontaneous ‘senior moments’.

I have often found that humor is good medicine for a lot of things and I have had many a good chuckle AT MYSELF when forgetting why I went to the refrigerator, the inability to get that darn word out of my brain and into my mouth, or stumbling through an introduction that includes a long time friend.

Maybe you have had some similar experiences or have noticed such ‘moments’ in your mate. Either way, it can be a little scary, frustrating or sometimes just plain embarrassing! I would encourage all of you with any concerns to talk with your health care provider. It is extremely important to evaluate the ‘normal changes of aging’ versus a health condition that may require further medical attention.

For the sake of my blog title, I will be focusing on a few tidbits of information and resources this week that I have found to be educational, mentally stimulating and downright entertaining!

Stay tuned for more posts that includes game links and suggestions to keep our brains mentally sharp! And to celebrate upcoming National game and puzzle week, enjoy some games this week with family or friends and continue the fun in 2016! Your brain will love you for it!

I did mention something about choosing to keep silent in my last post, didn’t I? Well, not long after that, I made a conscious choice of deciding to speak up and maintain some healthy boundaries for myself.

And yep, you guessed it- I spoke up over a load of dirty laundry!

I had a couple of short solo trips following our summer adventures and was playing catch up on work and home tasks before heading out of town once again. I had my ‘to do’ list neatly organized in my head: what needed to be taken care of before leaving and also planning ahead once I returned home.

Well, didn’t that list just get a big NOT put in front of it when Buddy surprised me by doing some laundry while I was gone. A little fun fact that my children had learned during their college years: Mom likes(well, actually insists upon) doing all the laundry!

I acknowledge the importance of fostering the transition from teenager to adulthood and independence!! But I also found a weird sense of accomplishment and ‘Momness’ when the kids’ clothes once again smelled like a fresh rainforest during their visits home from college.

So, when I returned home from my trip with my dirty jeans and getting ready to ‘make a full load’ –we are in the midst of much needed water conservation- and WHAT?? …..no clothes in the laundry basket waiting for me!

This really isn’t a story about dirty laundry(literally!) but more about setting healthy boundaries. Now you might think I’m really stretching a story here; but in all reality, the clothes provided a good opportunity for a communication moment that extended well beyond the laundry room!

It was healthy for me to speak up and share that I both appreciated and understood Buddy’s motivation to help and needing to be productive. I also expressed the importance of communication in what each of us expected with this new division of labor following Buddy’s retirement.

But…. laundry will forever fall under my job description in this castle!!

In my early years as a health care professional, I saw a plaque on my manager’s desk that I’ve never forgotten:  KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

This phrase struck a true chord for me as this was foundational in my college education and professional training.  Little did I know at that time, it would also have so much meaning in caring for others as well as in my own personal life!

Whether we live in our ‘heart’ or ‘head’ space when it comes to decision making and actions, book knowledge or experience(how we also can gain knowledge- sometimes easy and sometimes not so much!) helps that process.

So now I am passing this bit of knowledge along to you!  Let the information from this link percolate through you. Think about it, talk it over with a friend, or write something  here. Most importantly, apply what works for you as part of your Retirement wife journey. Happy travels!

http://www.rvcc-inc.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=10872&cn=359