This first week of June starts a month of big life changes for me and Cindy. Cindy will retire from teaching after 32 years. Our Daughter (my step-daughter, but she has been with me for 22 of her 24 yrs) is getting married on June 20th. I will retire from the practice of Optometry after 37 years.
Cindy had a retirement luncheon given by the faculty earlier in May. The staff of the schools she served as head librarian for many years gave her a wonderful dinner party a few weeks later. That was supposed to be surprise, but an errant e-mail gave her plenty of warning. Cindy is a little less traumatized by retirement then I am. She sees the end of school every year. She says it really won't hit her until September.
The wedding will wait for another time.
I am traumatized at the thought of giving up all I have built over the last 37 years. My partners gave a retirement luncheon for me and the staff yesterday. I have always said I am not unidimensional person of Dr. Robert Copeland. I thought I was ready to go. These last 3 months have been difficult as I say good by to patients who I have treated for 25 or 30 years. This last month is even worse as things wind down and I let go of being the managing partner of this practice.
I am trying to live in the moment and enjoy every day, every patient encounter. I am also looking forward to less structure in my life. A chance to go to the movies in the afternoon as a senior citizen. My time to work on my golf and tennis games.
This will be the first time Cindy and I will have prolonged time at home together. For years she started early in the day. I start late and end late. We spent days passing each other, now we will be together. Who will shoot who first, or will we come close as when we first met.
Life stages are being crossed. I am trying to embrace them as I have in the past parts of my life. I know I will survive and look back at my fears about leaving my practice and laugh.
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