Only in my wildest dreams did I imagine that retirement would bring such a plenitude of social activities that I would need to learn to say ‘no’ to some of the opportunities. As one of my former colleagues observed, “I’m like a kid in a candy store!” Before retiring, I had subscribed to the common […]
Author: Jeanette Lewis
Taking Sibling Relationships for Granted — until they are gone forever
‘Nobody knows you better than your siblings’ quote by unknown CBC broadcaster In late November my only sister died after a short fight with an aggressive cancer. Just a few years ago my dear younger brother also died of an aggressive cancer. With no living parents, the deaths of my only siblings have left me […]
Commuting — Is it destroying your soul?
In the past two weeks, I had to travel to downtown Toronto from my comfy suburban roost twice to attend meetings of boards on which I participate. I love the work on these boards and the meetings (aside from preparation — meeting packages are often over 200 pages in length) are interesting. But I do […]
Feeling powerless in the face of Japan's disaster
Although the media is constantly providing stories of people and countries facing extreme distress, the recent earthquake, tsunami and nuclear threat in Japan has created more than the usual feelings of helplessness as I watch pictures of the disaster and read the daily news stories. I’m sure that many other postworksavvy readers experience similar emotions. […]
How does your body respond after years of sleep deprivation?
I doubt that many readers were aware that last week was ‘Sleep Awareness Week’. Many of you may have treated the week with a bit of a yawn (sic) and wondered why have a week devoted to celebrate sleep awareness. Perhaps you missed any reference to the designated week because there always seems to be […]
How can you stay happy as winter drags on?
As I listened to another forecast for snow overnight, I wondered how about how Canadians (and others living in a Northern/winter clime) stay upbeat during the last few weeks of winter. I find myself watching the light grow brighter as the earth rotates and I know that spring is almost here. The change to […]
How will you celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day?
March 8, 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. This is a great time to take stock of your accomplishments (regardless of gender) in making the world a place where justice, equity, fairness, and opportunity prevail. Women have achieved success in the professions, in business, in government and in the media yet there […]
How do you define productivity after retirement?
During the past three months I have stayed close to home and hibernated during a harsh Canadian winter. With retirement there has been no need to leave the house on miserable days and I don’t stress out about commuting when there is snow or ice or very cold weather. I don’t ‘have’ to go anywhere. […]
Friendship — New Meaning for love during Valentine's week
Just before Valentine’s Day we received the sad news of the death of a dear friend. This was someone who my husband had known through high school, someone who immigrated to Canada with him, who studied with him, and whose family members shared many happy times with us although we lived some geographic distance apart. […]
