It’s been a while since I’ve written about our retirement adventures. When I first thought of this as a blog idea, I figured there would be lots of excitement to write about, and loads of travels to document. Turns out there hasn’t been nearly as much traveling as I assumed, but I’m not complaining. Our original thought was that we’d be on the road every three or four months, with at least one major trip each year. In the two plus years since Rick called it quits, we’ve managed one epic drive, allowing us to enjoy the final three states we had never visited, and a few shorter ones, but nothing on the scale we’d envisioned.
Part of the problem has been my father’s health issues. There have been at
least a half dozen ER visits, a two week stay in the hospital and another two weeks in rehab. While doctor visits have increased, Dad has become less independent and more reliant on me (and Rick). It’s been a tough and sometimes stressful transition. You hear it often, how the parent becomes the child, and the child takes over the parenting duties. It hasn’t become a full transition, and I hope it never does. Dad still lives in the independent section of a senior living center, and my prayer is that he can remain there until the Lord calls him home.
Since our travel situation has changed, Rick and I have discovered a new form of enjoyment—estate sales! Some people think of estate sales as a way to ravage a dead person’s home. I look at it as a way to keep a person’s memory alive—whether I knew them or not. I have a number of incredible items in my home that might have otherwise been destroyed: pottery pieces from a local artist, mid-century modern chairs that fit with the style of my home, a watercolor from a well-known British artist (never mind that I had to pay $100 to frame my $1.75 find), and a drawer with type-setting letters in it. The author in me had to have that one. I have eclectic tastes, and love finding unexpected treasures along the way.
I think I’ve said this before, but I sort of dreaded the day Rick would retire. I had all these vision of him being underfoot, but we’ve managed a healthy balance of time together and time apart. My writing has suffered some, but that has more to do with Dad than Rick. Now that Rick and I have found a balance, I need to find the same with my father.
What will the future bring? I have no idea. I do know that God is in control, and that he’s doing a work in me. I’m not the most patient person, and God knows that. So does my husband. I’m grateful for a man who loves me, a God who loves me, and a family who puts up with me.
Here’s to whatever the future holds!