First Baptist Church of Herndon

Day One

Linda Soller | May 09, 2022

May 3, 2022 was officially my first real day of retirement. It was day one of a new phase of life. The first question that everyone asks is what are you going to do. Our society is all about “doing”. To be totally honest that part of the change never worried me for a moment. As I told my co-workers I had never lived to work, but had worked to live the life I wanted for myself, and my family. The difference between the two is that through the years I have nurtured my interests outside of work. When I had to pass up on opportunities due to my work obligations I made a note to myself to put that opportunity on the list of things I could do one day. I’ve always worked hard so that there would be a day when I could stop working. Well, stop working at a job that paid me. 

So day one, May 4^th, was cloudy and rainy, the perfect day not to have to go out of my house if I didn’t want to. Even better there was nothing I absolutely had to do. I don’t remember many days like that. I had worried I may be slow to adjust, to have to motivate myself to get things accomplished, but found the opposite to be true. My mind didn’t go to sit and do nothing, my mind said you can do anything you want, so where to start? I will admit – housework was not my first inclination! But there was a great feeling of choice and a satisfaction in making each decision. 

For a long time I have recognized the importance of being thankful for each day we are given. Regardless of what was on the agenda I tried, sometimes not as successfully as others, to put a positive spin on what lay ahead. But this was different. I was not looking at getting through one challenging day knowing it would only last so long. This time day one hopefully offers the start of a long adventure and many opportunities to say yes, I can do that. Here’s to the day one in each of us!

Be the love in the world  :o)