We are settling into our retirement lifestyle. It was a more challenging adjustment than I anticipated in some ways. Unlike some people who have jobs that they don’t enjoy, I loved the work I was doing. During my career, I didn’t give much thought to retirement in part because I was in no hurry to retire. I did attend pre-retirement planning sessions offered by the Pension Boards of our church, and I had a few conversations with investment professionals about managing our small investments. However, I didn’t put much energy into creating complex plans. When the time to retire came, we decided that moving to a new place would be part of the process for several reasons. After serving the same congregation for 25 years, we felt that we would need to relocate to avoid having undue influence on the decisions the congregation would make about leadership. It would be natural for members to seek us out after retirement with various issues, including asking us to assist with funerals and other special worship services, seeking our advice on decisions facing the church, and other matters. We wanted the church to be free to make its own choices without us exerting influence.

As important as it was to adhere to the highest standards of professional ethics in retirement, we also wanted to live near our family. Our adult children had moved away from South Dakota. They moved in different directions, so we couldn’t live near both of them, but we consulted with both before making our decision about where to locate. Being near grandchildren has been one of the profound blessings of retirement. Having more time to travel means we are blessed to see our other child and her family more often.

The move is working out for us. There are a lot of details involved in moving from one state to another. Obvious ones like changing the registration and license plates on our vehicles took a bit of effort and resulted in some expense, but were easily handled. In the era of cell phones we did not have to change our phone numbers, but we had to register change of address with banks and businesses as well as with friends and family. One of the ongoing tasks has been updating my email addresses and removing those that are no longer in use. I suppose this will be a part of my life from here on as others make changes in their lives.

Another challenge of which we were aware, but which has proven to be a bit more difficult than anticipated has been developing relationships with health care providers. Finding new doctors who accept the insurance we have is only the start of the process for us. Changing health conditions have meant needing to add a few specialists to our list of medical providers. The biggest challenge, however, is the ever-changing nature of health insurance. In addition to Medicare, we have a supplemental policy that we purchase through the church as part of our pension and retirement program. The church, in turn, contracts with a private company called a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO). Although Medicare allows seniors to change PPO plans, we have so far chosen to stay with the plan offered by the church. What we had not anticipated was that the plan would change which physicians and practices are considered preferred. After establishing care with a local family practice, we have been notified that they are no longer on our plans list. We are being asked to establish care with different providers. This task is complicated because not all providers accept new patients, and the complexity of transferring records, medical histories, and other aspects of healthcare. This challenge, however, is not the focus of today’s journal entry. I will likely write more about it in the future.

One task we have accomplished is drafting new end-of-life documents. To ensure that our documents complied with state and local laws, we had new wills, powers of attorney, and advance directives drafted. The cost of that legal work was approximately ten times the amount we paid the first time we had similar documents drafted. We have, however, waded through all of the legal jargon and navigated the system to have our documents in place. The visit of our daughter and her family this week has allowed us to review our plans with both of our children and their spouses. From my perspective, the conversations with our children are far more valuable than the legal documents. Being able to speak frankly about my wishes and intentions and realizing how deeply I trust the loved ones who will make decisions for me when I am no longer able makes a big difference. I know that the legal documents are most likely to come into play in the event of a disagreement or dispute. Having discussed them with our children and their spouses in advance leads me to believe that they have the relationship and skills to navigate complex decisions without conflict. Should disagreement arise, I am confident that they have the love and skill to resolve that conflict. To paraphrase the slogan, “Having wills and directives drafted: thousands of dollars. Having open and honest conversations with our children: priceless.”

I did not expect retirement to be easy. I have worked my entire life and am comfortable navigating challenges. I am aware that there are decisions and challenges ahead for me and my family. I also know that I don’t have to face those decisions and challenges alone. I have a wife and children who will share those with me. I am blessed with a community of people who care about me and will support me in times of need.

I may never fully figure out retirement, but I have taken some steps in the right direction. I have become more comfortable with being retired. There are a few things that I’ve been able to cross off of my “to do” list. The journey continues.