MY GOLDEN YEARS
I feel a great sense of having been blessed with a long and fulfilling life.
I have now enjoyed eighteen years of retirement. After a work-life spanning five decades, I could hardly wait for my golden years to begin. I had no financial wealth, no valuable assets, no nest egg; just a modest pension which was about half of my final salary.
That didn’t bother me. I had the greatest wealth of all; good health of mind and body, a positive disposition and a resolve to make the very best of that new stage of my life. Now, after eighteen years of adventure, enjoyment and contentment, I can assure anyone nearing retirement that may have doubts or concerns about how they might cope or adjust to their new and unfamiliar life, that they should banish their worries. It is a rewarding and wonderful experience if they embrace it with open arms and focus their minds on making it the best stage of their life.
I count myself very lucky to have had a wide and varied range of interests and hobbies. Every hour of every day has been full with activity and that rascal ‘Boredom’ was never allowed a visit. For me, that is the key to an enjoyable retirement. Reading, writing and social media keeps the mind busy and sharp, and walking, cycling and gardening helps the body stay nimble and in reasonable shape. All that mental and physical activity has another important plus for me. At the end of the day, tired but happy, I was ready for the bed and a night of good quality sleep.
Here are a few inspirational quotes that may illuminate your path with light, wisdom, contentment and love, as you embrace your retirement.
MY CANCER JOURNEY
As you may know, recently I have been diagnosed with Cancer. It was a shock but now I realise how blessed my life has been and how much I took in all for granted. It is a wake-up call and it has certainly woken me up. Life has been so good for me that I long for more of it – much more.
I’ve been challenged to a fight and a battle that I intend to win. This is a rogue organism that has invaded my body by stealth and will be evicted and banished to oblivion.
My determination in this cancer battle is in steadfastly believing that with a positive attitude of mind, a strong belief, an endless perseverance to succeed and the solidarity and prayers of friends and family, the dark cloud that now hovers over me will be replaced by a magnificent blue sky of bright sunshine, banishing forever this awful scourge of our time.
So, my friends and colleagues on our CANCER JOURNEY, I hope my little thoughts will be of some help to you today.
Please connect, comment and convey these little messages to as many as possible around the world.
The effort will be little but the reward will be great.
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For full details of all my books click on this link:
https://www.amazon.com/Paddy-Cummins/e/B0034NVEA0/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1
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Happy Birthday and have a great day. Age is just a number!
Thank you, Leah, for your kind words and wishes. I agree !!!
Agree absolutey, Paddy. I’ve learnt more, grown more in self-understanding and achieved more in terms of creative endeavour in the last 15 years of my retirement than I did in 30 years of what they call working! You don’t retire from life, you retire to live! Happy birthday.
Thank you Jim. Your words remind me of this quote: “The wiser mind mourns less for what age takes away than what it leaves behind.” William Wordsworth
Love it!
Happy Birthday, Paddy!!
Thanks Jack. Greetings from Malta.
Happy birthday! I agree with you about retirement. Boredom isn’t a word I use either.
Thanks Onisha. The secret I think is keeping both the mind and body well exercised.
Definitely have to keep the body well exercised.
Happy birthday Paddy, wishing you many more fun-filled and creative years to come!
Thank you so much. you’ve made my day !!
Reblogged this on IRELAND – MALTA – TRAVEL .
Paddy, ole buddy and pal, I was heartbroken reading your Cancer Journey post on Facebook.
I wanted to let you know, however, that about two years ago I was successfully treated for kidney cancer at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. They treated me with something known as imminotherapy.
Are you still living in New Ross?
Good luck, Paddy, jousting wit cancer.
“The longer you live the more beautiful life becomes”
You have so much to look forward to Dad when you evict that intruder we believe in you and love and support you the whole way
So Proud of YOU