Page 50 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2022 - Online Magazine

SENIOR RESOURCES
THOUGHTS ON
Fulfillment, Retirement, & Becoming a
“SENIOR”
epending on life
events, stages of
Dlife, and personal
experiences, there are so
many ways that people
define being a “senior.”
From citizens to schooling
to leadership positions, a
common theme is clear:
being older, being the
oldest of a group, or being
in the final rank or stage
signifies seniority.
I recently had the
privilege of visiting with
a dear friend and former
Covenant caregiver,
Lucinda Ward, about what
it means to be a senior.
Lucinda retired from
nursing in 2020, where
she had served 13 years in
pediatrics before spending
the remaining 24 years of
her nursing career in case
management. I asked her
about her favorite part of nursing
and serving the community, and,
without hesitation, Lucinda said she
simply “enjoyed being an advocate
for patients and their families.”
I asked Lucinda what comes to
mind when she hears “senior.”
“Retirement!” she chuckled.
Lucinda loves retirement the most
because her time is her own to do
with what she wants, to schedule
and make plans whenever she
wants, and not to be dependent on
50 Lubbock Senior Link
by Sydney Wenglein, M.S., LMFT
Bereavement Counselor
Hospice of Lubbock
identifying as a senior because
she will be turning 67 this year
and is in the stage of life where
she is trying to adjust to being a
widow and learning how to live
her life differently than when she
had a spouse for whom she cared
and deeply loved 45 years. When
I asked her if there was anything
she wishes she would have known
prior to retiring, Lucinda said “the
knowledge of the limited time I had
left with Roger”. Lucinda’s only
wish would have been to retire
earlier to enjoy more time with him
before he passed away in August of
2019.
Lucinda also expressed that, in
addition to retirement, a lot more
of her thoughts center around
the aging process–– things like
funeral planning, what things to
leave behind for her children and
grandchildren, and making other
final arrangements, including will
a work schedule. Lucinda fills her planning with family. Although
retirement days with lots of travel, these things can sound daunting,
watching her grandchildren’s sports
and events, having lunch with
dear friends, and going to church.
When I asked her any final thoughts
about retirement, she laughed and
responded, “Retirement is good; I’m
just loving it.”
During our conversation, Lucinda
reflected a lot about what it
means to be a senior, including
the stage of life she is in. Lucinda
was transparent with me about