Reflections on retirement Katherine Punch

This was written in 1980 when Mother  Katherine Punch turned 65 and retired.  Little did she know that she would still have 30 busy years to go.

Suddenly it is here.  The busy, busy days of living and loving and child rearing have tumbled, swiftly, one after another.  One more birthday and abracadabra --- sixty-five.

How wonderful, they say.  Think of all the time you will have to do all the things you want to do.  I ponder.  Somehow or another I have been doing all the things I want to do.  For 41 years I have worked in an interesting challenging job.  Being part of a service that has grown from 5 to 80 people.  Decisions.  That’s what I will miss.  The Vitality of working.

I look at my hands.  They are not golden.  I am not artsy, craftsy.  I like travelling.  But you can only travel so much until it becomes running away. 

   Volunteer.  Yes.  Of course.  But it must have meaning.  I guess --- it is being needed, that I will miss.  But I have been receiving all these years.

        Now – to give!