| Observations of a Newly Minted Older Person
| Louis Tenenbaum

| I have watched many friends retire, and like this column, my interest is both professional and personal. I don’t get hung up on the word retire. I know it doesn’t mean sitting on a bench bored, while feeding the birds.

Some find their footing right away. My girlfriend, for instance, describes her two years of retirement, what some might call a sabbatical, before she returned as a contractor for a special project, as time and space for life. Time to chat with the grocery clerk rather than silently willing them to hurry. This isn’t filling time. It’s relishing it.

Others take longer; eight months seems about average. But the happiest ones tend to follow one of two paths.

Path 1: Purposeful Engagement

They take on work that matters but doesn’t consume them. This may be short-term volunteering, writing a memoir, organizing a lifetime’s worth of collected materials. They cook more, deliver meals to friends in need, offer rides around town. They step up for grandchildren, join a political campaign (the next few months are a critical moment for democracy), or reconnect with old acquaintances. Right now, there is especially meaningful work in supporting those who fear ICE, so food deliveries, dog walking, accompanying someone to a court appearance, can be very important short, small efforts. And yes: taking a nap or reading a book in the middle of the afternoon counts too.

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Without too much effort, they find a new rhythm that brings them real joy.

What these activities share: genuine impact without full-time commitment. They bridge the gap between a busy career and open time, carrying people across that transition with grace.

Path 2: A Clean Break

Others make a stark departure first. They walk the Camino, trek across Ireland, or finally take that trip to the Far East or Africa they’ve been pondering for years. Sometimes it lasts two weeks, sometimes two months. When they return, they flow naturally into Path 1.

A Word of Caution

Those who fear they won’t have enough to do sometimes overcorrect by lining up commitments that look and feel a lot like their old job. I think of a neighbor I occasionally called in a pinch for babysitting. Her first question was always “How often?” When I said “just today,” she said sure. The lesson: keep your options open. Commitments that aren’t too long or too deep leave you free to choose. I’d gently discourage the full-time-replacement path. The goal isn’t to replicate work; it’s to discover what purposeful freedom looks like.

Two more tips: don’t hesitate, and don’t feel guilty. You have earned this time. You will continue to contribute; you just need to learn a new way of doing it.

Louis Tenenbaum is a longtime advocate for aging in place, co-founder of the HomesRenewed™ Coalition, the HomesRenewed™ Resource Center, and HomesRenewed Ventures, LLC and a nationally recognized expert on home modifications that support independent living. Discover more columns in this series.