Widows & Widowers Support Group
This community is dedicated to those who have lost a husband, wife, or partner. Anything is open for discussion here, with the hope that we can focus on grief, bereavement, life after loss, and continuing on after a great loss.
A quote keeps coming to mind lately, "Life is what happens while you are making other plans". Don't know who first said that, but it is so true! We planned on being married longer, we planned on retiring together, but life happened instead. As a person who is entering the "senior" years (I'm 61) and who has been retired early thanks to losing my job, and also widowed, I have come to realize that planning a lot of stuff into the future is no longer as important as it once was. "Life" is happening right now and I need to remember that on a day-to-day basis, try to find joy and purpose in each day. I just thought I would bring up this quote in case some of you out there find it as helpful as I do. (If anybody knows who originally said it, I would like to know) laurabp
Alice
I remember a similar quote that made a huge impact on me as a young person. I have kept it close to my heart, now understanding more than ever the depth of its meaning: Never waste time seeking your own happiness, for it will continually elude you. Live life with gusto, serve others, and tend to your responsibilities. Happiness will flow from that.
"Happiness is something you stumble over on your road to duty."
TJ
Richard and I planned to be together forever. We were 10 years apart, and he was semi-retired at the time he died. Only got 9 months out of being semi-retired. Long-term retirement plans were to snow bird in Florida. So, like all of us, that has been forever erased.
I get very annoyed when someone says I have my whole life ahead of me. The reply is that I ask them if they even know how long they or I have to live. It's a real conversation killer. If I'm happy with what I am doing with my life, that is all that matters.
Didn't plan to lose my husband at age 62, my nephew at age 37, nor my precious sister-in-law at age 59. They didn't plan to die either.
Just reinforces my opinion concerning life. Plan your retirement, but just live for today. Life can be snuffed out in a second, just like that.
The one thing for certain is that life does go on. I realize this every time I look at my kids. Todd's kids. Peace.....Kaaren