It seems like friendship and relationships are on my mind a lot lately! We went to a 60th birthday gathering a couple of weeks ago. While there, the hosts commented that the theme was, 60 people for M’s 60th. They had invited only 60 people to the event, which was a phenomenal catered cocktail hour … Continue reading Who’s On The List?
I saw this question in an essay on friendship: “If you disappeared from their life for a month, would they miss you specifically? Not just what you do for them, but you.” And it made me think about things both ways - who am I missing, specifically, and have I been missed, specifically. I’ve drifted … Continue reading Have I Been Missed?
The feeling of “mattering” is a new term I’ve recently been seeing a lot (probably due to a newly published self-help book of that title; nope, I have not read the book). I was especially intrigued as it relates to retirement fulfillment. I recently came across a new site – A Conscious Rethink – that … Continue reading Mattering
In all my emotional regulation understanding, my increasing resiliency exploration, and even the Buddhism meme’s I’ve been getting on my Facebook feed, there has been a consistent message of removing draining energy sources, whether it’s people, places, or activities. I’ve been struggling with a specific situation (person mostly, but in an organization and activity I … Continue reading Lean-in or Detach?
A few weeks ago, Sue over on Women Living Well After 50 (link here) said, “Acceptance isn't resignation”. She was challenging us to explore where we needed to adjust our wellbeing routines, based on accepting the reality of our current situation. It made me consider what I need to adjust in my life for the … Continue reading Accepting Reality
This week continued my emotional healing process. With no forward motion yet on the house recovery, the emotional healing is definitely feeling up and down. There’s been multiple times where my inner voice says, “Why bother?” Why bother getting out of bed? Why bother trying to plan something that won’t work out? Why bother trying … Continue reading The Ups & Downs of Emotional Recovery Continue
I’m beginning to believe I have a distorted vision of friendship and that the “perfect picture of female friendship” is a just a fantasy. The BFF from childhood or high-school, who remains your BFF through it all – just getting older and grayer now. The tight knit group of besties who do things together all … Continue reading Let Go of the Fantasy
Finding new connections is often a large element of retirement transition. Many people lose a sense of belonging, as they no longer have their work/career connections. A move to a new location, another element often in retirement, can exacerbate this feeling of not belonging. Having a feeling of belonging has always been a challenge for … Continue reading How Can I Feel a Sense of Belonging?
It always amazes me that when I start thinking on a blog topic, I begin seeing it talked about/written about everywhere. This synchronicity has happened recently on the topic of friendship. Relationships is a big component of retirement transition in general and one I focused heavily on at the beginning of my retirement as I … Continue reading Updating My Thinking on Friendship
Many times in the past few weeks, I’ve felt like the outsider, the one who doesn’t fit in with the cool girls, the one who isn’t asked to play at the playground, or sits at home on a weekend night when everyone is out partying. I so want to be in the inner circle, part … Continue reading Desire for Belonging
