Who Will I Be Now?

I was a 22 year old, first year teacher in 1990, and I was sure I was going to change the world! Fast forward 32 years and maybe I didn't change the entire world, but I did impact some students' and adults' lives. I am quite proud of my career. When I decided to retire at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, I felt that I would work so hard at preparing myself mentally for what this change would mean for me and how I would deal with it. The question I kept in my mind was,"Who will I be?" as I had been a teacher, an employee for so long. The school year was so busy I really didn't dedicate too much time to the processing of the eminent change. The question just sat in the back of my mind.

Well the school year, my contract, my career came to an end, and I can honestly say that I walked out of the building so content because I knew that I had given all I could during my career. Do I still wonder who I will be now? Sure. I think it is probably a natural question many retired folks deal with. One revelation I came to was that I am going to live my best life. That doesn't mean that I wasn't living my best life before. I was juggling like so many others: my family, life and my professional life. So I was living my busiest life! I stumbled across Ben Rector's, Living my Best Life, song recently. Apparently, my kids had introduced me to it before. In my defense, things don't always impact you right then and there. So I did not remember that I had heard it before! Anyway, I really listened to the lyrics and they inspired me to adopt the thought of "living my best life", and I really think that will look like whatever I want it to look like as long as I am taking care of myself and my family and doing what brings me joy. So I think I have the answer to my niggling question: "Who will I be now?" and that is: I am still a work in progress, and I will evolve as the years go by. I don't have to be defined by my blessing of my career choice or anything else for that matter. Here's to living my best life!