Hello, All ...
Looks like a great forum!
I don't know if there are any answers for my situation -- perhaps a kick in the pants is the best answer. If my post is too far off-topic, please let me know.
The Good News is, due more to luck than skill, I was able to retire at the earliest "feasible" date (1 week after I reached age 55). The Bad News is, my retirement was forced upon us by my husband's mild stroke and recovery. I was simply taking too much time off work.
Two months after his stroke, one of our best friends also suffered a major stroke, and was far less lucky. She is now completely disabled physically -- cannot walk and almost blind -- but her mind is still strong. My in-laws are also starting to require more and more attention, though they're still pretty independent at the moment.
We're doing okay money-wise, and my caregiving duties are relatively light. Too light to be appropriate for a caregiver forum.
But the thing is, so many of our dreams are deferred, or just plain gone. I don't see us opening up any cool businesses, or going on any of our long-awaited travels, any time soon. Or at all. My husband can be left on his own for a few hours -- but he cannot drive, he tires easily, and his meds keep him tired. My friend's family and I are trying to bring her some semblance of independence.
Most of our friends live more than an hour or two away, and, except for the in-laws, our relatives live further out than that. I expect that at least one of them will also need our help soon.
My social life now revolves completely around caregiving in one way or another. Our marriage is still a happy one -- I'm not interested in entanglements -- but I feel like I'm living the life of a very elderly person, not an early retiree. The original idea was to retire early enough so that we'd have some years before health or elder commitments brought us back down to earth. Oops. Didn't happen.
On the other hand, I've got a myriad of blessings to count.
I know I just need to put on my big girl pants and be happy. Sometimes, I'm able to do that, but not often enough. I do have more time than I used to, but it comes in less predictable chunks.
So I wonder if any of you have retired directly into caregiving, and how you managed to find satisfaction in it (if, indeed, you did)?
A simple kick in the pants might also be helpful.
Looks like a great forum!
I don't know if there are any answers for my situation -- perhaps a kick in the pants is the best answer. If my post is too far off-topic, please let me know.
The Good News is, due more to luck than skill, I was able to retire at the earliest "feasible" date (1 week after I reached age 55). The Bad News is, my retirement was forced upon us by my husband's mild stroke and recovery. I was simply taking too much time off work.
Two months after his stroke, one of our best friends also suffered a major stroke, and was far less lucky. She is now completely disabled physically -- cannot walk and almost blind -- but her mind is still strong. My in-laws are also starting to require more and more attention, though they're still pretty independent at the moment.
We're doing okay money-wise, and my caregiving duties are relatively light. Too light to be appropriate for a caregiver forum.
But the thing is, so many of our dreams are deferred, or just plain gone. I don't see us opening up any cool businesses, or going on any of our long-awaited travels, any time soon. Or at all. My husband can be left on his own for a few hours -- but he cannot drive, he tires easily, and his meds keep him tired. My friend's family and I are trying to bring her some semblance of independence.
Most of our friends live more than an hour or two away, and, except for the in-laws, our relatives live further out than that. I expect that at least one of them will also need our help soon.
My social life now revolves completely around caregiving in one way or another. Our marriage is still a happy one -- I'm not interested in entanglements -- but I feel like I'm living the life of a very elderly person, not an early retiree. The original idea was to retire early enough so that we'd have some years before health or elder commitments brought us back down to earth. Oops. Didn't happen.
On the other hand, I've got a myriad of blessings to count.
I know I just need to put on my big girl pants and be happy. Sometimes, I'm able to do that, but not often enough. I do have more time than I used to, but it comes in less predictable chunks.
So I wonder if any of you have retired directly into caregiving, and how you managed to find satisfaction in it (if, indeed, you did)?
A simple kick in the pants might also be helpful.
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