Transitions

Going into partial retirement entails many things to think about and new challenges to meet.

When NFCA co-founder Cindy Fowler and I took a trip to the beach in September 1991 for a weekend respite from caregiving, we could never have known we would be starting on a journey that would change the course of our lives — especially mine — as well as the lives of millions of others.

Fast-forward to today, and I am once again about to begin a new journey. I’ve given up my position as National Family Caregivers Association’s (NFCA) CEO and taken on the new title of cofounder and CEO emerita.

I will be working part time and focusing on moving key issues forward and continuing to write and speak on behalf of family caregivers.

A New Course

This journey will be different from the one that gave birth to NFCA. That journey just sort of unfolded, at least in its early years.

This one is much more of a deliberate and conscious act. But transitions, whether planned or otherwise, are always somewhat unnerving. You can never know exactly what lies ahead.

The list of things I want to do is quite long, with some related to caregiving and some not. I want to sit down at the computer to explore whether I have another book in me, but I also want to slow down.

I am excited about this new phase of my life journey but recognize other phases might not feel as comfortable as I continue to age. I consider this phase to be the “Smiling 60s.”

Beyond the smiling 60s, though, there is of course the 70s, 80s, and, I hope, the 90s. My mom is 95 and still going strong, but with age inevitably comes some deterioration.

I certainly hope I have her genes, as well as many other transitions to look forward to.

For more information, visit thefamilycaregiver.org.

 

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