A son's point of view
“My Old Man always was a real partner, and super active. Since I was a child we played soccer together, my friends liked him a lot. He also worked hard, and the assignment of roles in my family was: Mummy took charge of us and Daddy worked. It worked well, I think………Maybe it’s because I was the only boy, but my Dad always found time to do things with me: go fishing, play tennis… He’s always had a centered point of view, that’s why I enjoy talking with him.
One day, his time came to retire. The company where he’d been working for several years gave him some months notice, and although he wasn’t waiting for it, at the beginning he enjoyed his free time. Now he had all the time in the world to play golf, meet with his friends, spend more time with Mummy…..things that he had always wished he had more time for.
However, the entertainment of this ‘new life’ lasted for some time but then he started to become bored. I remember that during one of those after lunch conversations (when we weren’t yet in lockdown), he said he felt a little worried because he was starting to have trouble with filling his day. After chatting for a while, we came to the conclusion that what he missed was something to do that made him feel useful. ‘I want to use my head’ he said to me, so I proposed that he come and work with me.
That worked more or less and finally, after some other options, he started with consulting work. Now I see him happy with life again, enthusiastic, and finding a balance between free time and time to work. But, I did see him go through some difficult moments.
Based on his experience, I realize that retirement must be thought about in advance, planned, and hopefully decided upon not only from a financial standpoint but also as a change in your life, and one can influence the direction that it takes".
