How well do you know your spouse or significant other? If you met 30 years ago, do you really know the person you are married to today? Think about it. Are you the same person you were 30 years ago? What were you like when you were in your 20s? You had your whole life ahead of you … You probably felt like the world was your oyster … Opportunities and possibilities were all around you … You were young and fresh and optimistic … Who are you now? Who is your spouse or significant other now? Have the trials and tribulations of life changed your outlook or your spouse’s outlook on life? Have you experienced the intense pain of losing a parent? When you’re young, you have no idea how painful it is to lose a parent. When you lose your parent, it changes your life forever.
We retired in early 2017, after thirty-something years of working. We both worked full-time throughout our marriage. Therefore, our time spent with one another was weekday evenings, weekends, and vacations. When we retired, we were around each other all day long, which was odd. We literally had to get to know each other all over again! Needless to say, it has been a big adjustment. We have had to do lots of talking to minimize misunderstandings. Something as simple as getting coffee and breakfast in the morning requires negotiating kitchen space and time. Even though we have very different sleep schedules, somehow we end up in the kitchen at the same time trying to do the same thing! No matter how frustrating, I always remember something a male colleague said to me years ago … He said whenever you feel frustrated with your spouse or life partner, focus on what attracted you to him or her when you first met. Is it still there?
If anyone in The Fifty Plus Network is experiencing the life-changing experience of retirement, our advice would be to talk, talk, talk! If you have a retirement/relationship tip, please share with The Fifty Plus Network by:
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