The Habit of Retirement
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by Carole Crumley
"In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." -Isaiah 30:15 (NRSV)One of my passions is mystery novels. I have enjoyed reading the works of various authors and none more than the late John D. MacDonald. His most famous mystery series traced the exploits of Travis McGee, an occasional detective of sorts. Travis lived on a houseboat in Florida, working only when he needed new funds for living expenses and for his so-called retirement. He would take a case if funds were low and after completing work on the case, he would "retire." McGee tells the reader that he believes in taking his retirement "a little bit at a time." He says that he began applying this philosophy early in his life so that when retirement age actually comes (if ever), he would have already taken his retirement all along the way.
This different way of living captured my imagination and stuck with me more than the story plots ever did. In his own curious way, Travis McGee embodied for me the wisdom of "rest and return" that scripture declares is essential for wholeness of life.
Recently, a friend sent me an article entitled "Quaker Spiritual Disciplines for Hard Times" by Patricia McBee. In this article I learned, to my amazement, that Quakers consider "retirement" one of their foundational spiritual disciplines. For them, retirement is what happens on a daily basis as we pull back from the busyness of our outward lives and pause in the midst of daily activities to listen deeply to the whispers of God. Any activity that assists our presence to God is considered "retirement." Worship can be a time of retirement. Walks in the woods might be retirement. Retreats could be retirement. Breathing deeply, appreciating life as it is, is always retirement.
For the spiritual refreshment of our souls and for living creatively in hard times, it is essential to retire daily, writes McBee. In fact, she says, "for early Friends, retirement was a prerequisite for a life of faithfulness."
I am grateful for this use of the word retirement for it helps me see that I too have been taking my retirement a little bit at a time, all along the way. According to the Quaker understanding, I have been developing the habit of retirement perhaps even more than I know. Smiling when stopped at red lights, praying for peace with our Shalem community, giving thanks before meals, slow walking, participating in contemplative retreats, making sweet talk with my husband, laughing with others around the lunch table, all are moments of retiring and touching the Divine Presence that pervades and enlivens all of life. Each moment of retiring deepens my confidence in the goodness of life and strengthens my soul for returning to the practicalities of living.
I'm thinking a lot about retirement these days as Rose Mary Dougherty, Sheila Noyes and Doris Froelich retire from Shalem in the next few months. All three of these beloved staff members have given a significant part of their lives to God through the ministry of Shalem Institute. Doris, our wonderful receptionist, is a new grandmother. She hopes to spend more time with her precious grandson who lives in Arizona. Sheila, our wise and dedicated program registrar, is recently married. She and her new husband will live in both Florida and Montana to be closer to their families. And Rose Mary, our exceptional program director, will take some sabbatical time to listen, write and just "be" as she seeks God's invitations for the next steps in her life and ministry.
Although individuals officially retire from Shalem, often they come back (like "boomerang kids") to offer leadership in a new or different way. Tilden Edwards, who retired three years ago, continues to offer creativity and leadership to our programmatic life. Doris promises to return as a volunteer with special oversight for our library. Sheila is looking for ways to be Shalem's advocate in two new regions of the country. Rose Mary may discover some new form of ministry that will rightly find a home at Shalem. We welcome these happy "boomerang" possibilities, for scripture reminds us that both rest and return are part of the spiritual discipline of retirement.
© 2008 The Shalem Institute.