When I retired from my job, a colleague gave me a beautiful glass snail. It was quite stunning, really, about five inches long, heavy and shining with soft green light. And it was the perfect symbol for retirement, a gentle message to “slow down.”
My colleague explained that she had received it with instructions to “Pass it on.” I observed that she was back in the work force and she laughed. “I guess I need a job,” she said. I understood what she meant when I was suddenly without one.
I didn’t miss the work so much, the hectic pace and the never-done to-do list, but I missed being part of a team, a project, a place. It’s a pretty basic human need: to belong, to be liked, to be useful.
So, I set about to create another to-do list, starting with these essays on IPR every week. Plus volunteer activities, a book club, meditation group, and daily exercise.
It’s been many years now since I received the beautiful glass snail and I confess I haven’t passed it on. Maybe when I slow down.
