Savor Life in Retirement

I have learned to savor life in retirement.  I have always been grateful for everything that I have but, since I’ve been retired and have the gift of more spare time, I have learned to truly savor the finer things in life.  I’ve also learned that the finer things in life include just about everything.  When you take the extra time to fully experience each moment, you develop a true appreciation for everything around you and life itself.

We are all guilty of taking life for granted.  But, at this age, we all know that each additional day we are able to get out of bed is a gift.  We might be vaguely aware of that fact, but do we really spend the time to think about it and make the most of the day we’ve been given?  Have we learned to savor life in retirement?  Do we close each day with a sense of appreciation?  I have developed what I call “the gratitude habit” and sit down to review the day I have just experienced.  Sometimes I sit on our deck with a glass of wine and watch the colors change as the sun sets and closes out another day.  Sometimes I have a cocktail with our daughter if she can make room in her busy schedule and we talk about the wonders of our little valley.  She, along with my wife, shares the gratitude habit and none of us take what we have for granted.  We’ve learned that it can change your whole outlook on life when you are grateful for small things like food and a comfortable place to live.  You also learn that, for some people, these aren’t small things.  They worry about their safety every day. We are very fortunate to be in the United States.

You Can Savor Life in Retirement in Many Ways

My wife and I have been very fortunate to travel and experience many wonders.  Most are part of the world’s natural beauty but some, like great cathedrals and bridges and ancient roadways, are manmade.  We think today’s humans are so smart (and they are), but everything we have been able to accomplish stood on the shoulders of those who came before us.  Look at the architecture of some of the churches that were built hundreds of years ago and think about what you would do if you were given the challenge of building something like that today.  The thought becomes overwhelming when you look at the intricacies of the stained glass and archways that were designed to support the weight of the structure.  The skills that were used to construct the huge Gothic structures don’t exist anymore and you begin to appreciate another time and another age.  It’s a first step in learning to savor life in retirement.

Look at the smallest creatures in nature and do a little research on ants, spiders and birds and you begin to learn facts that will astound you.  As you might know, I love research and learning and it amazes me when I realize how much I don’t know about certain things that are a part of daily life.  Some people get so absorbed with following someone on social media that they lose track of the marvelous things right before their eyes.  I remember that I was one of those people who would walk by these things without a second thought.  I was in a rush to get to the next thing on my calendar.  One of the gifts of retirement has been that, for the most part, I can control my calendar now and make time to appreciate this wonderful world that we live in.  I have learned to savor life in retirement with the understanding that wiser people have appreciated life since the day they were born and took the time to appreciate the beautiful world we live in.  They’ve captured on canvas, written about it stories or became experts on one or more aspects of life that held their attention.  That’s how experts are developed and how we make such great strides in our knowledge of the world.  A person who is an expert in something is someone who learned to savor and explore their area of interest.

I came across a fact the other day that stopped me in my tracks.  I may have known it already or come across it before but, for some reason, it got me to really think about what it meant.  Do you know how many galaxies there are in the universe?  I’m not talking about the number of planets or stars but galaxies.  From the knowledge gained by the Hubbel Telescope, it is estimated that the number of galaxies is about 200 billion.  Not 200 thousand.  Not 200 million. But 200 billion.  There two hundred bikion galaxies and we are living on one of the planets in one small solar system.  If that doesn’t get you think about what a miracle our existence actually is and what an incredible creation we are a part of, I’m not sure what will.  All I can say is that it has made me even more determined to appreciate the world around us and to be thankful to be a part of something so vast and so wonderful that it defies comprehension.  It makes me think that I was created to appreciate the world around me and my very existence as much as I can.  I have become more determined than ever to savor life in retirement and to see as much as this world as I possibly can.

There must be a reason we’re all here.  I may be the least qualified to figure out what it is but I know how I’m going to spend whatever days I have left.  I’m going to experience this world as much as I can and, hopefully, help those I meet along the way to do the same thing.  To explore the world, learn and do new things and make the most of every day by not rushing through it.  I will learn to savor life in retirement and enjoy this gift that I’ve been given.  It’s time to Enjoy Retired Life!

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