A Glimpse of Retirement

When you think of retirement, does an image come to mind?



One cloudy summer day, I was walking with my family around the lake at Skytop Lodge.  The kids were running ahead, weaving around the trees, their laughter echoing across the smooth water, scaring ducks and herons into flight. Steve and I were strolling behind them, arm in arm, content to just be together without filling the moment with idle chatter.



We rounded the bend and I saw them: his and hers red Adirondacks swaying gently at the end of a private dock. It was as if they were waiting for us to go around the lake a few more times before sitting down with a grateful sigh to finish the afternoon with a quiet read.



I didn't think about the hardness and awkward angle of Adirondack chairs, or about the fact that I might end up in the lake when trying to pry myself out when dusk fell and the mosquitoes swept in. Instead I just took out my camera and snapped a picture of this glimpse of retirement, of life after the hectic family years. People are always telling me that it will all go by so fast.



When you're in a race, it's always helpful to have a mental image of the finish line.



Wednesdays are a time to use pictures as a writing prompt. Check out the Wordful, Five Minutes Wordless, not so Wordless and Way-back wednesday posts to see how others were inspired today.