Are You Happier and More Content Now In Your Senior Years Than When You Were Younger?

SeaBreeze

SeaBreeze

Endlessly Groovin'
Location
USA
Are you more happy and content now in your senior years than when you were younger?

I think I am, especially since retiring. I now feel settled in and don't have the stresses of meeting the demands of going to work every day and punching that timeclock. Since I've retired things are pretty much the way I imagined, freedom to do what I want with my time and just having the time to enjoy life's little pleasures. Being happily married for over forty years is a big plus too.

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I don't miss going to work every day. But I was much more content when I had a family in the home. I miss those days now that my kids are grown and have families of their own.
 
I can understand that Ruby. I don't have any children, so it's just me and my husband, no empty-nest syndrome. I'm glad you're not missing work, there are some people who don't feel valuable unless they're working.
 
YES!! I'm so much happier and content since I retired and my 3 girls are successful business owners and happy. In fact, I just treated my daughter and boyfriend for dinner out to join me in my Celebration of Joy :D because I feel like a huge burden has been lifted off my shoulders. I'm not joking. We celebrated just last weekend. We went to the Irregardless Cafe which has a variety of entrees with a whole section of scrumptious Vegetarian entree selections. My daughter is vegetarian and got Bolognese atop znoodles (spiraled zucchini). It tasted just like the real thing that usually has beef and sausage but this was all veggies and nutritional magic. Everything was delish! They had LIVE music which was a local guitar musician playing familiar favorites.

Then my daughter told me, for my birthday in April, that she booked an airbnb condo for 3 nights right on the Riverfront Boardwalk for the Annual Azalea Festival that I've never been to before. I'm so excited and we can bring our 1 year old pups. They're best friends and so cute.
 
Interesting question. I am happy, live a good, fulfilling life, and am living in a beautiful, safe community with lots of friends. Having been happily married for 54 years until my husband passed away, of course I miss him. Living on my own has been a big learning experience, also somewhat of an adventure. Of my three children, two are near enough to see pretty often, and the grandkids (mostly grown) travel a lot, so I get to see them a lot also. I've been very fortunate with the things life has given me, most of all my good health, which is the best thing any of us can have.

I've been going through a lot of old photographs, putting together albums to give the kids, and just today I looked through one of the albums, containing pictures starting with some of my parents, taken in the 1920's, and including my own babyhood, childhood, marriage, children, etc., and I was thinking what a good life I've had. It's a shame in a way that, thanks to digital photography, people mostly don't bother with photo albums any more. Somehow, Facebook just isn't the same thing.
 
Hell NO!!!..I am so bored. I have acute breathing problems which limits what I can do. Besides not having any one around to yack with, or a job of some kind to occupy my time. After I have checked my news and forum messages in the morning there is nothing else the rest of the day.
 
Actually,my growing up years were the best. I had a wonderful childhood a great loving family and friends. I didn't have a care in the world. I married and had to wonderful children,one who has given me 2 grandson's and for that I am grateful. Those years I was so busy I wished I had stopped to smell the roses occasionally. I still have my hubby which is a blessing and yet I miss so many that have passed on and I worry about what the future will hold. As a child I lived for the moment and enjoyed my life more.
 
SeaBreeze said:
Are you more happy and content now in your senior years than when you were younger?
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For Sure! It's real nice not having to be jerked out of a sound sleep by the alarm clock, or the phone ringing at 2AM, asking me to take a service call. The first year of retirement was kind of boring once I got caught up on all the projects, so we decided to make a change of lifestyle, and moved to the country. Now, every day that the weather permits, I can look out the door in the morning, and see any number of things to be done just to keep the place looking presentable. Staying active in a clean. and trouble free environment has proven to be the best health care plan we could have hoped to find. The kids and grandkids are just a 1 or 2 hour drive away, and close enough so that we maintain close contact, but not so close that we have any opportunities to "meddle" in their lives....which is probably a good thing.
 
Absolutely! My childhood wasn't a happy one. When I was in my 20's, I became a single mother (my ex-husband ruined his life and I had to put him out) and started having a chronic heart problem. I refer to myself as "poor girl" back then. My life started improving once I hit my late 30's. I just celebrated my 70's birthday. I'm healthier, financially independent and secure and have loving, fun family. I retired 19 years ago and after some familial responsibilities were over, began to really be able to enjoy retirement. I'm (we're) taking vacations more often. Life is GOOD!
 
I am coming up on my one year anniversary of retirement and I must say I do not miss getting up early and fighting the Atlanta traffic in the mornings and evenings. If I feel myself getting bored, I find something to do. And believe me, there is always something to do! One day, all these closets in this house are going to be pristine! LOL
 
That question is a two way street. For now, my medical needs aren't sending me to the poor house. But, I'm 71, disabled and getting older. I can no longer pick up the 35 lb. cat litter bags. Have to get two 14ers. I don't have to buy things except to replace them as they age. For now, I'm somewhat content, considering I don't have a choice. I don't want this to sound sad. I'm happy. But the days of practice and practice to make the H.S. team are behind me.
 
SeaBreeze said:
Are you more happy and content now in your senior years than when you were younger?
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Not so far, tend to have some anxiety issues, left over from a medical treatment. But, I'm going to take a second attempt at retirement, and for better or for worse- am not going to miss being jolted out of a peaceful sleep at 4 am, or perform above & beyond for clueless, thankless bosses. There, I feel better already. :)



Lara said:
Then my daughter told me, for my birthday in April, that she booked an airbnb condo for 3 nights right on the Riverfront Boardwalk for the Annual Azalea Festival that I've never been to before. I'm so excited and we can bring our 1 year old pups. They're best friends and so cute.
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Sounds a lot like Wilmington, stepson and DIL used to live nearby.
 
tnthomas said:
Sounds a lot like Wilmington, stepson and DIL used to live nearby.
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B I N G O, tnthomas! I live nearby too and have been to Wilmington before but never during the Azalea Festival. Before, I stayed in an Historic Victorian Home. It was lovely and fun to stay there with my sister and mother. Not much was going on that time but this time it will be buzzing with LIVE entertainment, street fair, art shows, garden tours, historic home tours, fireworks, Dockside party...oh, and the Azalea Garden Tour!
 
Life is too short to get bored...
There are so many books to read,
so many films to watch,
so many interesting people to talk with,
so many long walks to have...
and so little time left.
 

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