An Intentional Retirement

One year ago this past June 12, I retired as a Speech Language Pathologist after 22 years of practice. About two years prior I set an intention to leave. To support my intention, I made the significant decision to stop buying any clothing or accessories that related to my work environment. In honor of that, I purchased a fabulous pair of red heels. No mistaking those for work shoes!

I must admit that after two years my wardrobe was feeling more than a bit tired. Most of these clothes were already more than two years old at the time I made that decision. But I was determined to hold firm! It was either break down and go “work” clothes shopping or make a deadline for retiring. I set a date: June 12, 2007. The numbers add up to the significant Feng Shui number nine, representing power and completion. Having chosen that specific time line, I again used my wardrobe to symbolize and support my intention. I created a little daily ceremony. For the weeks leading up to the June 12 deadline, I would come home from work and place the clothes that I had worn that day in a pile. This was my Goodwill donation pile. Each article of clothing was blessed and folded neatly. Needless to say, after several weeks, my closet became very bare, but that story, dear readers, is for another blog.

Mixed with the eager anticipation of leaving was a huge sense of gratitude. I was acutely aware of how many wonderful people I had met along the way, both patients and staff from whom I learned so much. I told as many people as I could that I was leaving, telling them how much I appreciated the opportunity to work with them. I wrote Thank You notes and brought treats. I had always felt sorry when someone left and I did not get the chance to say goodbye or wish him or her well. Often there was an assumption that the person was on vacation, only to learn a month later that they were gone for good. I did not want that to happen. I like closure and goodbyes.

On June 12, my husband drove me to work, planning to pick me up afterward for a celebratory dinner. This last day, I brought to work a 6-foot long and 3-foot wide piece of red cloth. In Feng Shui, there is a lovely ceremony called the Red Carpet Adjustment. This length of red fabric is placed across a doorway so that half of it is in the room and half on the other side of the threshold. Walking over it represents a personal journey from one place to the next. A transition, if you will. I was leaving the familiar and crossing the threshold to the unknown. Our past serves as a bridge to our future and walking the red carpet represented that bridge, leading me to a new stage of life. As I walked it, I said words of gratitude while visualizing a smooth journey. When we returned home, I repeated the process, placing the red cloth across the threshold of our front door. Regardless of where this phase of my life takes me, home will remain my anchor.