This morning began like every other morning. Gail got up, made coffee and climbed back in bed. After all, there was no reason to get up any more. Everyone was gone.
Still in bed she thought about the laundry. Piles and piles of it. Being sick the past week did not help. She was more behind that she ever allowed herself to be. The kids were grown now. Out and off with families of their own. Children. Her once hectic, scheduled life had come to a halt. It did not happen overnight. It happened in the days and hours of growing children up.
Work kept her busy at the hospital. As the Director, she had one crisis after another from the time she walked into her office. Often long before anyone else arrived. Sometimes there would be physicians and nurses, housekeeping staff waiting in line. They knew her schedule.
Gail loved being a part of serving others. She did it well and without complaints. That is not to say there were no headaches; there were plenty of them. Physicians who said their cell phones were not working only to find out their battery had died. Nurses who complained about other nurses not enclosing sharps. Patients who complained about the physicians and nurses. But all of that was gone now. Left to capable hands because of choosing to retire very early. At forty-seven. There was more to life that earning a paycheck and Gail was about to figure it out. She always felt life was an adventure. Now she would be part of another series of adventures. Retirement. Her terms. Finally.
She had given herself time to make some well needed changes in her life. Complete her marriage, build a new home, create a healthy support system. Visit her children. And she did all of that.
We traveled extensively - the Caribbean, central Europe, Alaska, every United State but two. The island of Newfoundland and all of contiguous Canada.
And then things got quiet. Gail got quiet. She promised herself an easy end of year. She didn't count on being sick again. Two viruses in a month. She knew she was run down. But the sun always comes up. Today it was more glorious than it had been in weeks. The monsoon was gone, tulips and hyacinths were popping up. Gail hired a full service lawn and garden company to manage her property. She was releasing a lot of responsibility. 2016 would be easier, more abundant, more fun.
She would spend winters in a warm climate, summers in a cold one. Back and forth she would go - whereever her heart would take her.
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