Ahhh...The Later Years of Life!!

Have you ever thought about what it will be like once your kids have grown, left the nest, and you've retired?

Well, the semesters come to an end and our last class was about the "later years".  Most of the young students in the class can't think or relate to anything beyond getting married and maybe having a child or two.  Not me, I'm right in the midst of those "later years". 

During this time in your life you figured you'd be retired, living large off your 401K and IRA (ha!), no kids and no responsibilities at home, traveling around to far off places, no stress and just living it up.  Well?

Let's take a reality check.  This can actually be a stressful time in life as we've become the sandwich generation.  Where we  still have children living at home and maybe even caring for our aging parents.  If this is the situation, this can create an added financial burden.  What about rebound children who have left home (maybe single or married) and come back home to live?  New boundaries and rules have to be implemented or this can become taxing on the parents and possibly end up causing conflict within the family system. 

The parents in these situations need to make sure they are continuing to work on their relationship as a couple, so that when the time comes when everyone's all gone and left the nest, that you have mutual interests to build upon.  During this transitional time of life, you'll also need to understand and support each other as you go through some personal challenges.  There may be concerns about your own aging-i.e. appearance, physical body and health; thoughts of "how much time you have left" and "what have I done with my life"; as well as thinking about making a career change.

If you are a grandparent, it can be a very rewarding time to spend quality time with them and sharing in their youth excitement as they grow and develop.  I know that being a grandma is very rewarding and fills my heart with joy when I get to be involved in their school, church and sports activities.  I like to spend one-on-one time with them, getting to know them and just being silly and creating memories.  These are the times that let me forget about my aging face and body and just live and enjoy the moment.

So, don't you worry about this "old lady"...she's just going to enjoy her family life and live each moment so that her posterity will know she was here, had a good life and is looking forward to spending the eternities with them!