Survival Tips for a Happy and Tolerable Retirement

So many times I have heard ladies say that they could not wait till their husband retired.Actually, I cringe when I hear them say it, and I want to march right up to them and ask them if they are sure they know what they are getting into. Retirement is usually a much anticipated time of life when we all think that life's routine will be slower and more peaceful. We look forward to uninterrupted conversations with the love of our lives. We look forward to having time to finally garden together. Planning meals and shopping seems like they should be a fun time to be together.

I don't want to scare anyone here, but have you really thought this through? What I mean is, do you remember the last vacation you both took together? Take a minute and think it over. At any time during the vacation, did you count the days till "he" would be back at work? Was there some cooking tips he gave you that just did not quite sit well with you, after all you have been doing the cooking for the past umpteen years! Do you remember the last time hubby took you to the store? Maybe it went something like this. He drops you off at the big new Foodco plaza and happily tells you to take your time, no rush, and he will wait in the car. So feeling like you can shop your normal leisurely way, off you go. You arrive back at the car to a mad and raging bull who then has the nerve to ask you ,"what took so long"? If your husband had a position at work that required him to be a boss to others, he may find that once he is retired and home that he will continue to boss you around. If you were mistakenly thinking that the household chores would be shared now that he has so much more time on his hands, he may have other ideas. You may find that his retirement plans include golfing on Monday, fishing on Tuesday, comparing fishing stories on Wednesday, meeting the boys for lunch on Thursday, and Friday is open in case the boys decide to get together and do something.

I really think lots of these mentioned problems would really be clear if you just ask yourself that one original question. How was that last vacation together? Maybe if you try to hold your expectations to a minimum things will go better for you in the beginning. Alot of these issues can be made more difficult if your husband retired due to illness. He may not be fully able to be a helpful participant. Just take it one day at a time, breath, and make sure you keep yourself busy and happy. Life will be different but that doesn't mean it will be worse.