“How do you like retirement?” my friend Allison asked.
“Love it, of course!” I replied. “But I loved teaching, too.”
That’s the short answer.
I love my scheduled activities and my impromptu ones. I love hosting the Bible studies at my house and helping my Egyptian friend and my Chinese friend with their English. I love picking up a car load of food to take to our free community meal participants on Wednesday nights. I love the things I’ve always done, such as worshiping with friends on Sundays and participating in our small group. I especially enjoy the flexibility to have lunch with friends and travel during the school year.
Fortunately, Steve and I enjoy the small moments as well. I’ll share one.
I was telling him that I’d had trouble deciding on a wedding gift for the granddaughter of our close friends. I’ll call her Lindsey. “Lindsey’s only registered at Target and WalMart, and there is nothing left that I want to get for her. It’s just vegetable peelers and can openers and small stuff like that.
“So I decided I’d just get them a Target gift card. What do you think?”
I could tell by his expression he was not thrilled with that idea. We like to get something special for couples getting married. This couple, especially, could use help since he’s a part-time youth minister and she will just get whatever job she can find. (Her most recent job I know of was taking school pictures. She hopes to be a tour guide at a nearby tourist attraction. You get the picture.)
“But now that I think about it,” I added, “maybe money would be better. They could use it for whatever they needed. We appreciated our money gifts when we got married.”
“We did!” Steve remembered. “Good thing we had it to pay for car repair when that Chevy broke down on our honeymoon.” We laughed as we recalled that event in August, 1965, which was not a laughing matter at the time.
“Well, we’ve certainly got simpler and simpler on our wedding gift for Lindsey and Brad! From buying to gift card to money,” I said.
With a mischievous gleam in his eye, he said, “We could go even simpler. Just palm a $50 bill into Lindsey’s hand as we go through the receiving line. That would be the simplest of all! Why bother with a card?”
We laughed and giggled at the idea, and we’ll no doubt laugh again as we greet the newlyweds after the wedding. It’s those small moments, funny or poignant, that make each day a pleasure.
Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” Psalm 126:2
