Remember those Saturdays as a teenager when it was so wonderful to sleep in after a hard week at school? There were times when I didn’t lift my head until noon or even one in the afternoon. Back then I had no trouble sleeping. I didn’t need a good mattress or ambient sound to fall asleep. If there was a flat surface I was good to go. It wasn’t until I became a mom that my slumber habits began to change. Those feedings in the middle of the night roused me just enough that I was able to find my way to the crib and then to a rocking chair that my mother-in-law had given me. I’d sit there in the dark listening to music and nursing my baby girl sometimes wondering if I was dreaming, sleep walking or actually in the process of taking care of my child. I often believe that my children actually began sleeping through the night at some point because I was so sleep deprived that one night I simply did not hear their cries and so their habit of waiting until morning to demand food was born. Continue reading “Mr. Sandman”
Category: Retirement
A Life Well Lived
When my brother, Michael, was only a small boy he often carried a book by Werner von Braun under his arm. He would flip through the pages and gaze at the illustrations long before he was able to read. It was a volume from my father’s library and it envisioned what space travel might be like if man were ever to venture to the moon. It was only natural that after Michael graduated from Rice University he would be drawn to NASA and the work that was taking place there. He turned down other opportunities that might have ultimately been as exciting in order to fulfill a lifelong dream of working with the men and women who wanted to conquer the frontiers far beyond our planet. He accepted a job as a NASA contractor and has never looked back.
His work put him in contact with people from a variety of companies and backgrounds. Along the way he noticed an attractive Asian girl and took the initiative to find out her name. He thought about her often and in a somewhat uncharacteristic fashion decided to attempt to contact her so that they might become better acquainted. Her name was Becky Liu. Continue reading “A Life Well Lived”
Let the Journey Begin
It has oft been said that education is wasted on the young. While that is not entirely true, I suspect that some of the niceties of learning are never quite realized until we have experienced more of life. When we are not yet adults our focus is on far different aspects of the world than after we have experienced more of reality without the aid and comfort of our parents. With our widening horizons we are capable of deeper understanding. Somehow the curiosity that pushed us as toddlers resurfaces and we find ourselves seeking answers to a multitude of questions. Like a three year old we enthusiastically enjoy the world with all of our senses, ever alert for new experiences and adventures. Continue reading “Let the Journey Begin”
My Winter Sabbatical
My life was determined by work and traditions for so long that I have continued even long after retiring. I have always rushed from one task or event to another from my birthday in mid November all the way through Christmas Day. This year was no different. I have my regular round of cherished activities to uphold and they make me very happy indeed. The days in between Christmas and New Years Day have generally been a quiet sojourn for me. Mike was a retail banker by trade and he had little time away from work at this time of year. He was lucky if he got off early on Christmas Eve and unless Christmas landed on a weekend he was right back at work the day after the big holiday. Of course I was an educator and I had a nice long winter break so I was able to wish him well as he scurried back to work and then roll back under the covers to steal a bit of extra rest.
I suppose that I should have felt a bit guilty that I had such a long vacation and Mike did not but somehow I always believed that Mike would see through my fake sympathy and know that I was far too happy about my own free time to worry about his lack of it. Besides, he was one of those people who never even came close to using his sick leave and vacation time. If he had worked for a business that paid for all of those accumulated hours at the time of retirement he would have had a nest egg worth at least two years or more of income. Instead he was quite dedicated to his work and understood that his customers, employees, and employers depended on his being in the trenches with them. Thus I was free to determine my own fate during the days leading up to the new year and I always chose the ways of a hibernating bear. Continue reading “My Winter Sabbatical”
Being Extraordinary
A small group of people from my high school class have begun to explore ideas for our fiftieth reunion. Where does the time go? Surely it was only yesterday when we sat inside the gym on Mt. Carmel Drive while our family and friends watched us graduate from our youth into the world of adults. I’m certain that each of us quietly dreamed about the future. I know that I was convinced that I would do something extraordinary. Of course I had little idea what that might be beyond a superficial understanding of what it really means to be more than just ordinary. Back then my thoughts involved fame, wealth, distinction. Mine was a vague picture of an existence that would stand out from the humdrum. Continue reading “Being Extraordinary”
All It Takes Is A Little Love 