Gigifoundit

Happy retirement??? or is it??? who knows for sure since I am not officially retired until July 1 2023. Also the summer off seems kind of normal since I am retiring from teaching after 38 years in total. I am thinking that when August hits and I am not at school getting my classroom set up, calling families for home visits, or attending PD’s then it might hit me. I hope it is an easy and nice hit more like a hug maybe. The classroom full of littles has been my home away from home for decades so it is bound to feel weird to say the least. I loved teaching and never wanted to get out of the classroom. That was always my jam where I was happy to spend 9 to 10 hours a day. I have always heard that you should find a job that you love and it will never feel like work. I can truly say that teaching was that for me. I will miss it I am sure and I will miss my wonderful team that made work fun everyday. Also I will miss the school community as a whole. As an educator and being married to an educator for 39 years our lives revolved around kids, helping them learn and grow. I have taught a lot of children that I then also got to teach their children and see them parent. What a wonderful full circle it was.

Losing my husband after a 16 month battle with cancer 5 and a half years ago makes retirement bittersweet. We were going to retire together. We talked about traveling, going to Texas and staying longer to watch those 2 grandsons grow up, spending lots of time with the two littles that are thankfully close to home. My husband always wanted to spend part of the winter at a beach. He loved swimming in the ocean and was an active boogyboard guy. So this retirement thing is not what I thought it would be but I am determined to still make it good. My 4 little grandchildren will make it more fun for me and I can get my kid time with my own preschoolers.

Bible study this week was from James 4:13-15 and it completely hit home for me. James 4:13 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while then vanishes away. This is so true and I know this and I have lived it. Is it still ok to make plans and live life fully? Yes for sure it is. I will do it all the while knowing that whatever God’s plan is, is the one that I will follow. He will make sure of that even when I don’t understand it and I have so many questions but I still will do his plan.

So retirement, I hope you are good, and fun, and meaningful, and full of lots of time enjoying loved ones. But whatever it is I know it will be God’s plan and I am good with that.

I hope you will stick around and read my blog and help it to grow. I want to share my life with you including family and friends, travel, cooking, home finds, book recs, toys, and styles for women and kids. I have always loved to shop and my husbands favorite thing to say to me when I would return home with bags was “Tell me about the sale you found”. I mean I always only buy when there is a sale. Can you relate?

Blogging is new to me and I am sure that the learning curve will be steep but I have the time to learn and the willingness to try. Retirement, I think I am ready.

I will be back soon and hope to see you here. Take Care