Has your life taken a U-Turn?

Every day we hear stories and encounter people whose lives aren’t what they expected. This is especially true with retirement life Recently, I’ve met people who were ‘forced’ to retire two years too early. Many people who are retired have been compelled to look for work as they watch their savings and investments tumble.

Throughout your life, you’ve met with challenges, tragedies and opportunities. They don’t go away as we get older. I heard recently about a friend whose young adult child drowned. I think we make a pact with God, or the universe if you prefer. We say that we’re going to make every intention of living a good life, of being a good person. We’ll work hard and be reasonably kind to those we meet along the way. In exchange, nothing horrible is going to happen to us. It doesn’t happen that way. As Harold Kushner wrote many years ago, bad things do indeed happen to good people.

It was a pleasure to recently talk to author and psychologist Nancy Irwin, who has compiled forty stories about people whose lives took a U-Turn as they reached the midpoint. Like Nancy, who returned to school at age 42 to become a psychologist, many of the stories are dominated by personal choices. Other stories involved people who were assaulted with life-altering situations. Read about Facing You Turns.

As Nancy declares, change is inevitable; the key is how we deal with it. As I have researched and now live with it, retirement is one of the most significant transitions we face in our lives.

The opportunity for personal growth, new challenges, and experiences is available around every corner as you transition into retirement, regardless of your financial situation. You bring with you many Tools to ensure your success.

A primary goal of Retirement Life Matters is to help you create a satisfying life, regardless of the circumstances you experience.

Expore the New Retirement

Despite the drop in home values, Warren Bland still contends ‘there’s gold in them there homes’ in his article Times are tough: How Can I Retire Now?

While not wanting people to invest their life savings, retirees should consider a small part time business. Stan Spector, business broker discusses the Mini Business for Retirees.

Change and Transition explores specific factors that can affect a successful move into retirement.

Somewhat off topic, but not necessarily, Kat and Curtis Knecht discuss Expectation or Intention. While the article is specifically about relationships, understanding our own expectation about retirement can have a great impact on our satisfaction.

Retirement or College for the Kids

Recently, I read a lot about how parents are having to choose between retirement and sending their children to college. Or, saying they’re not going to get to college at all because of a lack of funds. I’m here to say, “Hogwash!”

This is a ‘back in my day story,’ but I think it is worth telling.

I completed my first year of college at a local community college before I made some stupid and life altering decisions. Over the next three years, I got married, pregnant and divorced, so by the time I was twenty-two I was a single parent. It was a difficult time in my life, but the one good thing that came out of it, besides my daughter, was the decision to complete my education. It took another six years to get my bachelor degree. I paid for it all myself, worked went to school and raised my daughter. I will admit, I lived with my parents for a few years and they help tremendously by taking care of her.

As I look back over my life, I regret not having the college experience of living in a dorm on a college campus, or of going to football games. If you want the college experience, it’s going to cost you. And yes, I know, the cost of college has gone up. But, if you want an education, you can get a college degree. It may take you longer. That’s a decision, I have never regretted.

Family Finances Part Two

As I mentioned in a previous post, we scheduled a family meeting to discuss money. Not everyone made it this year, but a process was started that I plan on continuing.

We have one daughter and one son. My husband and I try to split everything equally. Unfortunately, we made a bad decision (I think) by making them co-executors of our estate, should something happen to us simultaneously.

My husband was executor of his mother’s estate and there was a lot of paperwork to fill out and sign. He was in a different state than the attorney, so it was challenge. My children live in different states and I don’t think we’ve done them any favors by making them co-executors. We don’t have a resolution. I hoping they will discuss it and help us decide what to do.

My son brought up concerns about making the mortgage payment if we’re not around. I thought that was a good question, but couldn’t provide an answer. We’re going to discuss it with our financial person to find out the answer.

Every family I know struggles over family estates. I know of more than one family where siblings and parents stopped talking to each other over money. I don’t know if we can prevent that from happening. I glad we had a family meeting.

About Retirement Guilt

Retirement is an interesting transition regardless of how it occurs. A couple rarely retires at the same time. Even if they do, there’s a shift that occurs. In our case, my husband retired in the fall and I continue to work from home.

Yesterday, he decided to work in the flower beds in the backyard. That had been my domain for years, but I just don’t have the time to keep it up. I felt guilty as I watched him lug bags of bark, pull weeds and clear winter clutter. At the same time, I wanted to control what he did and how things took shape. Plus, I wanted to be outside on the beautiful spring day.

In the end, I walked out once an hour for a five minute break. Then I would go back to the dungeon to work.