Time

As a retiree, I should have plenty of time. I don't. This is not a lament so much as it is a reality check.

My late great aunt retired from retirement, once. We laughed over that, but she was serious. She had become so busy in retirement that she almost lost her health over it. So, she took a breather from all of her commitments and rearranged them all.

I've done that from time to time in my own case. Aunt Helen's predicament has become mine from time to time. I'm sure I'm not alone in this.

With retirement comes freedom to explore so many things we once had no time for. Just too many other things clamoring for our attention.

Today healthcare visits account for much time: doctor visits at least twice each year, four different specialties; medical tests from those doctors consume more time; picking up prescriptions at the drug store adds more errand time. You get the picture. Prior to retirement we didn't have time for all of this, but then we were younger and in better health! Duh!

Church is an interest I've always had. I followed through and got involved with church work, committees, choir and program development. With retirement, those involvements have multiplied. It's a good thing, but it does expand time commitments.

Family responsibilities have expanded as well: more birthdays, anniversaries, get-togethers, and so on. Plus the family grows! Babies, weddings, huge new family components. It becomes quite dizzying, and all with no name tags! Right when my memory banks are full!

With time comes age and deaths of family and friends. Each of these happenings is emotional and requires attention. It is part of life's rhythms. And time requirements.

For Christians - of whatever stripe or depth of commitment - this is Holy Week.  Six weeks ago was Ash Wednesday, then Lenten services, followed by Palm Sunday, Maunday Thursday, Good Friday and penultimately, Easter. It is a good time to slow down and think. Even to learn how to feel again.

The other activities will resume apace as they always do. The volunteer activities, organizations and interest groups abound and clamor for our time and involvement. We dive in.

We need to slow down, from time to time, however. We still need to feel our own being. We need to scale our interests to available time and energy. That is a healthy thing to do.

I'm in the process of doing that at this very moment.

Peace to you all.

March 30, 2018