Retirement Relevant

“Which image represents your feeling about retirement?” I asked a small group of friends.

Although everyone was still highly engaged in their work, they were facing decisions about the big R. What was surprising was that a husband and wife both picked this same image of the raft to capture their feelings. He saw retirement as exciting and new, but with lots of trepidation. Fear and uncertainty were his prevailing emotions. And she recognized that her next pursuit would have to be something where she was in the ‘thick of it’. She would be the persona (wo)manning the oars ready for adventure with a new terrain filled with big decisions to be made. Using this image, the couple was able to bring new insights to the challenging, real conversation about when to retire and what to do next for them as individuals and a couple.

If retirement is a relevant topic in your life, what does this image evoke for you?