AND IN CONCLUSION…

Would imagine the majority of the population looks forward to retirement. No longer going through the rituals of waking up with the alarm, hitting the snooze button a myriad of times, plastering down the piece of hair that is sticking out, standing in the closet and trying to select an outfit that has not been recently worn, packing a lunch, scarfing down an unhealthy breakfast item, and slurping that first caffeine fix of the day while fighting bumper to bumper traffic in the hopes of getting to work on time.

Yes, the joys of retirement and being able to do, dare I say, whatever you want to do. Have fun, spend some of that hard earned money that was saved over the years, travel around the world…the sky is the limit. But what about those who retire whose lives are cut short before being able to enjoy the golden years? I’ve known several individuals who have passed away not very long after retirement. It’s quite sad. It’s very heartbreaking. It seems like such a waste.

In December of 2007, I started working in the health center at a community college in Orange Country. Although not mandatory, I was invited to attend a board meeting for official introductions of new employees. Having only met for a brief moment a few weeks earlier, the dean of our department came over and welcomed me to the district, again, and he knew me by name. My coworkers said that David was very kind, laid back, and for the most part let the health center do its own thing. He also had been diagnosed with prostate cancer two years previously but the cancer was in remission. Unfortunately, I only got to work with David for six months until he retired in June of last year.

A few months ago David’s cancer returned but insisted to his wife, Pam, they still take the trip to Italy they had saved up for, for so many years. They went on that trip in October. Three weeks ago I attended a memorial service for David. He was considered the “Dean of Everything” and the church was filled with many friends and colleagues from his numerous years of service. On the front of the program there was a beautiful poem by an unknown author that I would like to share:

God watched you as you suffered and knew you had your share.
He gently closed your weary eyes, and took you in His care.
Your memory is our keepsake, with that we will never part.
God had you in His keeping, and we have you in our heart.
Nothing could be more beautiful than the memories we have of you.
To us, you were someone special. God must have thought so, too.
All our lives we shall miss you, as the years come and go.
But, in our hearts you will live forever because we love you so.
God saw you were getting tired, and a cure was not to be.
So, he put His arms around you, and whispered, “Come with me.”
With tearful eyes we watched you suffer, and saw you fade away.
Although we love you dearly, we could not make you stay.
A golden heart stopped beating; hard working hands to rest.
God broke our hearts to prove, He only takes the best.


And in conclusion…With Greg’s encouragement and support I started blogging on November 23, 2006. It was therapeutic as well as enjoyable, and I’ve always been appreciative of the written and verbal comments received. Obviously I lost a lot of my limited readership because of the sporadic postings and must admit it takes up a significant amount of time. Would like to explore some other options, possibly take a few classes, improve my musical abilities, and learn a new language. This plus Mom, Dad, Jonathan and working ten-hour days puts a lot on my plate. So, this will be my last blog, but I might just add starting a novel to that already filled plate.

Thank you for your support over the last 27 months. It means more to me than you will ever know.