My Retirement is official

I worked my last shift at Orem Community Hospital on Monday, 26 Jan 2009. I know, I said I was going to RETIRE the last of December only enough to begin collecting retirement pay, then work at the hospital once in a while to keep up the skills and make a little extra money. A girl can change her mind (GBG). Here are some things that helped me make the decision last Sat. to totally pull the plug:

Inspiration sometimes takes a little while to come forth. Take that last question – shall I keep a Monday morning shift at Orem Community Hospital, or just be done, and why am I so ambivalent about making this decision? After a good 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep last Friday night, as I began to continue the “balance my Microsoft Money” project for 2008, the thought came along that I had not retired before and I did not have a road map for that… But I have moved plenty, and packed up my household and my life and moved on. That is not a new phenomenon in my life. Catching up on my email at IHC last Saturday pointed out that they sure have a lot of procedural details & online in-service training to keep track of and that keep changing; and on top of that, the Neonatal Resuscitation Procedures class for me changed from February to October (my card expires in Feb). And all that just to get to work once in a while?? So I think that is the signal that I am done there. It is time to hone some new skills and rejuvinate some old ones, and welcome a new season of my life.

There was the feeling of closure last week on Tuesday evening when 11 of my co-workers met me at McGraff’s Fish House for a little retirement dinner.


Retirement supper at McGraff's Fish House


My good nursing and genealogy buddy Darlene Nelson figured I'd need a big pair of sunglasses for all my free time in the future. LOL!



Last Thursday, the first IHC retirement check showed up in my bank account, so I am assured that they know where I am and who my banker is. I did not sleep well Sunday night, thinking of all the things I might need to do at the hospital the next day, hoping I would take good care of my patients.

Our stake had a Women’s Conference last Saturday, and one of the speakers focused on the passages in Doctrine&Covenants Section 25, about revelations given to Emma Smith and how they relate to women in the church today in their role in the Restoration of the Gospel. You can read those for yourself, and see which ones might apply to you. At the BYU Burn’s Supper that Saturday night, I was reminded of the really good friends that I have in that group as well as at church, and although the camaraderie at OCH is excellent and unmatched because of all the situations in healthcare we have shared together, I do have good friends in other settings.

You’d never guess I was a list person, would ya?

Two of my retirement gifts were Willow Tree angels – Happiness and Good Health. I am fortunate indeed to have friends who would wish such a future for me. I only have a few of those figurines, so I did get one more - Tenderness, to remind me about the next season of my life.

I’ll let you now how it goes with this new focus. I may start traveling occasionally to see those grandkids I talk about. I’m thinking for sure that “Relly” Amelia and Lily need a visit (see Sue’s blog at http://www.suerichardson.blogspot.com and Becky’s at http://randomlyoddbits.blogspot.com )




Happiness – “FREE to sing, laugh, dance …. Create!”



Good Health – “An abundance of health and happiness”


Tenderness – “Treasuring a rare, quiet and tender moment of motherhood” (and grandmotherhood; maybe even remembering those ancestors).