Welcome to my new blog about my life as a retired teacher. For some people, retirement might mark the end of a life of work, nothing left to do but collect your pension, travel, or volunteer. Excitement may be gone because the job is finished, the family is grown up, and the passion is gone. I am here to tell you, it may be a new beginning with great things to come. I have been retired for three years, but I find myself very busy with creative new things.

Looking back at my life, I can see choices that were made which lead me down different roads. I can’t say I regret some of the most painful ones, because I believe who I am now is because of where I have been. Poverty, divorce, rejection, betrayal, cancer, and bullying leave scars. My life has been like a rollercoaster, with many ups and downs. But I can truly say that faith brought joy in the midst of the suffering and has helped me to survive despite the circumstances. And I didn’t just survive, I grew as a person and achieved many of my childhood dreams and then some.

Because I put such passion in teaching, retirement came way too quickly.  I really enjoyed helping students develop a love for reading good literature and become creative in their writing. I meant it when I told them they should be lifelong learners. There was no greater accomplishment as a teacher than having eager learners who couldn’t wait to get to school.

And were they creative! I learned just as much from them. In fact, one of my students gave me a hardcover book for Christmas. It was a story she had written in class and she had it made into a book. She was so encouraged about writing when she did that. That inspired me and since retiring, my goal is to have a book published. I have taken classes and have novels I am working on.  Boy, do I have stories to tell.

Retirement brings just another fork in the road with decisions to be made. I plan on making it being another adventure with God full of growing and learning. There are many things I would like to try. Life is meant to be lived with passion. There are so many people in history that did their greatest achievements in their seventies. Winston Churchill and Grandma Moses are just a few. There are still many things I want to do before I am finished in this life. I believe the best is yet to come for me.

That is why I am writing this blog. My days are full of creative projects. So here I am in Life Part Three and there is so much more to learn and do. Hopefully, I will be able to help you find inspiration in my personal reflections on faith, family, reading, and writing. Maybe they will spark the learner.