Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love. This is the perfect time to show love and affection to those people with whom we have important relationships. Valentine’s Day is associated with cards, flowers, chocolates, and romantic celebrations. Big gestures of love often occur on Valentine’s Day. One might receive a gift of expensive jewelry, […]
Friendships
‘To have and to hold’ — Celebrating 54 years of marriage
54 years ago today my husband and I took our marriage vows. Using the traditional language of the church we attended, we pledged ‘to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according […]
Relationships That Matter
Last week, I entertained two groups of women whose relationships with me matter. They took time from their lives to drive to our cottage for a social occasion where we shared an afternoon and evening of food, wine, laughter, and conversation. One group consists of the women in one of the book clubs to which I belong. […]
Mehndi Ceremony and my Henna Tattoo
After attending a gala Mehndi ceremony a few days ago, I have a beautifully crafted henna tattoo on my left hand! All members of one of my book clubs attended this event to celebrate the upcoming marriage of the only son of another member. And, what a gala event it was! About 200 people dressed […]
Retirement Happiness — Good Endings
In the final days before moving I’m aware that good endings are important. Good endings involve letting go of people, places and traditions. Endings mean difficult good-byes. As we say good-bye, we worry that inevitable life changes will alter relationships. We know the future won’t be the same. We resist good-byes because we don’t want […]
Reunions
As is the case for most readers, I’ve attended my share of reunions over the years. High School reunions, university home-comings, class reunions, and work-related reunions. These events often involve dinners, speeches, pub crawls, site visits and dances. It is always great fun to see former classmates and former colleagues, to reminisce, and to recall […]
Retirement Happiness — Keep Loneliness At Bay
One of the secrets of retirement happiness is to keep loneliness at bay. Unmet social needs often lead to emotional distress and/or physical health problems. You might wonder why I think about loneliness when I am fortunate to live happily with my husband. I am also blessed with close relationships with my son, daughter-in-law, and […]
Why Some Reunions Make You Happy
Some reunions make you happy. Contact with people who have influenced your life validates and energizes you. In terms of retirement happiness, some reunions are worthwhile — others, not so much. The big ‘home-coming’ reunions at universities I’ve attended never attract me. It’s not worth the time or expense to attend these events to re-kindle relationships […]
