No one goes from birth till death without some major changes – getting married, having kids, death of loved ones and retirement are just a few of the major changes that we have to handle. These changes don’t always come at scheduled times in our lives. Instead they come with or without our being prepared. Even if we know something is going to happen it can still unbalance us when it happens. When I was fifty my husband died suddenly and that changed the person I was. Years later and I find myself facing another major event – today I retired after working for the same organization for thirty-seven years. I know that I’m ready to retire and follow my passion for helping other widows. But my heart is still sadden by how fast those thirty-seven years of my life disappeared. I know that I will get balanced again and will develop new habits – like sleeping in and not always being on a time schedule. Retirement has reminded me a bit of how it was after Donnie’s death. How my life changed and there was no going back to the way it was. But this time it will be positive because I understand so much better (than I did at the age of fifty) that I control what I do moving forward. So “Happy Retirement” to me – the best is yet to come.