I'm doing a happy dance!

I'm not the brightest candle on the cake - to say the least - and I've discovered an error in my thinking that just makes me sooo happy. I know that sounds crazy ( refer to post before last) but here's what happened. You know I've been planning to retire on June 1. Has to be the first day of the month you retire so June 1 is to be my retirement date because it gets me through this semester. For retirement purposes, your average yearly earnings are calculated on a July 1 thru June 30 basis so I really need to work through June to get a full year's worth of earnings. Until last week I thought I'd just take sick leave for that month and then someone pointed out that I'd have to have a summer contract to take sick leave. Well, of course you do! So, taking sick time for June is out of the question. I was really bummed out until it finally dawned on me that the last day of my current contract is May 14! Do you know what that means?! That means May 14 is my LAST DAY TO WORK! Can you believe that! After twenty years at this place and ten more at other stops - I'm done! Happy dance, Happy dance, Happy dance. If you could see this happy dance you'd see a big old fat woman jumping up and down like a beach ball bouncing in the surf! Thank you God!

Life really goes fast and when you hit fifty it picks up speed. It is hard to believe that all of the parts of my life that I ever looked forward to are gone. I have never really "looked forward" to retirement. My friend Judy and I used to talk about retiring. She wanted to retire but I would say, "Why would anyone want to retire? The next jumping off point is DEAD." Well, you know Judy died. She was retired for one year before she died but she retired only because she was terminally ill. Now, I'm retiring. I don't know exactly what to expect. My instruction manual didn't go this far. What I do know is, I'm delighted to be so near the end of my work years. I also know, I'm going to make the rest of my life the best of my life. When I get all the details worked out, I'll let you know.

There are very few things that I have had throughout my married life - besides Pop. One of those things is a kitchen plaque on which is a kitchen prayer. I wanted to take a picture of it and post it but the print is very small so I'll just share the poem with you. Here it is:

KITCHEN PRAYER
Lord of all pots and pans and things,
Since I've not time to be a saint
By doing lovely things
Or watching late with Thee
Or dreaming in the dawn light
Or storming Heaven's gates
Make me a saint by getting
Meals and washing up the plates.

Although I must have Martha's hands,
I have a Mary mind
And when I black the boots and shoes
Thy sandals, Lord I find.
I think of how they trod the earth,
What time I scrub the floor
Accept this meditation Lord,
I haven't time for more.

Warm all the kitchen with Thy love,
And light it with Thy peace
Forgive me all my worrying
And make my grumbling cease.
Thou who didst love to give me food,
In room or by the sea
Accept this service that I do,
I do it unto Thee.
Klara Munkres

You see, I never intended to be a career woman. I always wanted to be a housewife and mother. I was totally devoted to the idea of being a mother and homemaker. So when I read this poem, it summed up my life's ambitions. I don't particularly like the plaque itself; it isn't even pretty, but the poem spoke to me so plainly, I loved it instantly and it has been in my kitchen now for well over 30 years. For the first ten years of our marriage, I was that mother and housewife. Today when I read the poem, it reminds me of where I wanted to go with my life. And as I plan to retire from a career I really never wanted, it seems strange that where I wanted to go and where I went are so different. I never wanted to be a nurse; my mother wanted me to be a nurse. I hated every minute of nursing school. I wanted to be a teacher. But God knew what I needed before I did and in the end it has been a wonderful career. Being a nurse has allowed me to provide for my family and it has given us security that we, as a family, would not have otherwise had. For the last 20 years I've been able to combine nursing and teaching and have the best of both worlds. As a bonus, I've touched a life or two along the way and made them a bit better. I know that because I've had students and former students tell me so. So I'm grateful to God for blessing me with the career I've enjoyed for all these years. Hind sight is 20/20 and I can see all along the trail, God has been so good to me. But to tell you the truth. The absolute best jobs I've ever had are "mother" and "housewife". I'm not retiring from those two jobs! Till later, God bless.
Sharon