Retirement!

Dear Me as a Young Teacher,

I’m retiring at the end of this school year.

I’m glad I finally made this decision. It wasn’t easy. And once I made it, I felt relief and a terrible anxiety at the same time.

Now what? How was I going to regulate my days without the ubiquitous school bells? Can I still call myself a teacher? Why get up early or at all? What was I going to do with the endless hours I saw unfolding in my mind?

A recipe for depression? You bet!

Weekly therapy, sheer will power and the support and love of my family, especially my partner, has helped me climb out of the hole I had willingly crawled into and embraced with a fierceness that scared even me.

As I climb out of that hole I’m able to see more clearly what’s waiting for me: travelling with my partner; reclaiming my time; reading and writing; learning something new; spending time with my children and grandchildren; doing nothing. (I write that last one with trepidation as I’m not good at doing nothing.)

As I transition from one stage of life to another, I’ve started writing regularly and I’ve finally picked up a book. The downside is that I’m trolling social media too much and it’s all gloom and doom. But I’m confident I can control that.

But, for now, I need to work on report cards, figure out when I’m going to collect my personal belongings from my classroom, and work on returning to myself. Plus, I’ll keep writing here about my retirement.

So, enjoy your four decades as a teacher. Believe it or not, it goes by way too fast.

Best,

Me, at the end of my career.