Tuesday Morning - not the store, just the thoughts

First, credit where credit is due. We had the strawberry pretzel ice cream dessert that appears on http://www.heatherbailey.typepad.com/ Yummmm. We cheated with it though, not taking the time to make the vanilla ice cream but using a quality store version. Still goooood.

Next, kudos to my mother's dentist. He came out to the car to fit her replacement lower dentures for her, went in to do the adjustments, came back out again (twice). What a guy - certainly a small town hero to us!

Third, I'm re-thinking the word "friendship". Have had a long distance discussion with a close relative. We are in agreement that one great friendship is a true gift. Well, I have that with my husband already so I offered up that more than one is do-able. Then, in another message or two, we have unexpectedly landed on his high school memories. That could be because I now live close to where he grew up and have "haunted" some of the places he knows about and which still exist, lo these many years. And, add to it that I have reconnected with a couple of my neighborhood buddies from northern IL. From all this I have concluded that friendships do evolve.

It is written that people come into your life, stay awhile, then either things progress to permanency or drift. I'm amazed at how true this is but also how true it is that there is comfort in the old friendships. There is pleasure in having had friendships that may no longer exist. It is so enjoyable to get caught up in getting caught up!

At the same time it is so real and so right to not hang on to what no longer clicks. I'm here to tell you that retirement addresses that more than any other event I know of in my own limited experience. Prior to giving up employment I suspected that there would be changes. My suspicions have proven correct and then some.

Oh, it is just as much me as anyone. I worked hard when I was employed. Right away that limits the friendships one forms! I spent a good deal of time on boards. That led to knowing a lot of people for a lot of do-gooder reasons. I also worked very hard at having an identity outside of "what I do".

This last point has been the biggest blessing. I've always known where I was headed after I put in my time making this journey possible. It's not always easy being out of touch with the mainstream but it is healthy, it is clear, it is solid.

I think more and more our country's citizens are seeing that basic is good, that there is a difference between want and need, that there's more to life than accumulation, who you know, being known.

I also think that's a good thing. Must be the place I'm at, the age kicking in! Finally I know what THE VELVETEEN RABBIT felt: REAL!

Take the rest of the day off.