Retirement

I wonder how many more times I will retire??? The first time I retired was when I was pregnant with our first child. I thought I would never go back to nursing again. I swapped long hours and shift work for more long hours and shift work. I did not miss nursing one bit. I loved being a Mum.

Seventeen years later we emmigrated to Australia. "You'll have to go back to work Dear. Just till we are on our feet." I was ready. Six months of studying and examinations to get up to speed were hard but rewarding. I loved being in the workforce again and I loved Nursing.

Nine years later, we bought a hobby farm and I turned fifty. I decided that no woman should have to work after she turns fifty. Wherever did I get that from?? And anyway, when is one ever on one's feet?? What does it mean?? So I retired again. This time I swapped hard work for more hard work. We renovated the farm house and built a hen house. We stocked the paddocks with sheep and two young cows. There was only one tree on the twenty acres, so we started planting trees. I also planted a huge vegetable garden. What was I thinking?? How could two people eat all those veggies?? Those were good days till the drought hit.

We headed back to suburbia. I came out of retirement again. I missed Nursing and the comraderie that work mates bring. Three years later the hospital I was working in shut down. That was so sad for the local community. Soon after this we moved to Sydney. I retired again. Only this time I did a Lifeline Counselling course and spent the next three years doing Crisis counselling. Once again it involved night shifts and emotionally hard days. By the end of the three years, I had had enough of listening to other peoples problems, so I retired again! Then we moved to Brisbane.

One day as I was paging through the local paper I saw an add and said, " This is MY job." I went for the interview and went Nursing again. This was by far the best job ever. It was a Day Surgery Unit which meant, no night duty, no 'on call' and no shift work and no weekend work. Home at 5pm. What bliss. Sadly after five years my health declined and that was the end of Nursing for me. I retired again. Oh how I missed it. I missed the lovely team I worked with even more.

I have just recently retired again. This time from a very intensive Bible study leadership position. It has been full on for two years and every sacrifice I made to do this work was worth it. But it's time to really retire now. This week I have walked on the beach with Hubby and the dogs, been to the movies and started blogging. I'm having a ball. The next time I retire will be when God calls me home. What an adventure that will be!