Retirement isn't a full stop. It is a comma

The maudlin scenes that played out at the Laver Cup when Roger Federer took a final bow will not fade from our memory quickly. It made me recall the day my dad returned home from work for the last time accompanied by a few heavy-hearted colleagues. In both cases - Federer’s and my dad’s - it was a moment of farewell, of parting, of letting go, and of acceptance. That is what retirement is all about - an amalgam of emotions that marks a significant shift in the life of a person who had been offering his services to the world in whatever capacity he was carved out for.

Retirement is a watershed moment for many; it summons up countless emotions, the most dominant ones being those of sadness and loss. There is an irrepressible sadness about ending a career that had sustained them for decades, of giving up an identity that for long had defined them and of parting with a fraternity that had filled their diurnal hours with delight and despair equally. They face the sudden prospect of having nothing worthwhile to do in the future, a sense of uselessness and above all, the caustic sting of having to relinquish the chair.

It is not easy to grapple with these multiple sensations that rattle the body and mind on that final day of one’s professional span. What we saw at the tennis court was probably a combined surge of all the above feelings. It is not just the adulation that Federer will miss, it is also the joy of delivering those delectable backhands, the challenge that the sport throws at him and the adrenalin rush it invariably brings.

But should retirement be a crisis point for us? Can’t it be turned into a crucial curve when life takes a fresh look at itself and proffers new vistas to savour? In the yore, it used to be considered end of the road, one which relegated the person to a sedentary life devoid of purpose. It used to be accompanied by a sense of uselessness because the person had pegged all his worthiness to the figures written on the pay cheque that has stopped coming. Not anymore. The new dynamics of the world and the changing patterns of modern living have given ‘retirement’ new meanings. It is no more seen as the end of life; it is now considered a transition from an old way of conducting life to a new one. It is an occasion to usher in creative interests that had been lying on the backburner for long. It is a pivotal point that gives fresh perspectives on the future.

Yes, there is a future after 60, an ebullient one at that. It might mark the end of what you were invested in for long; however, it also gives you an opportunity to redefine your identity. From a banker to an investment specialist, from a corporate team leader to a trainer, from a government servant to an author, to a teacher to a philanthropist - the avenues are innumerable. All it would take to smoothly glide from one phase of life to the next is an attitude that puts life on a pedestal and promises to give it its due.

As one cruises into the last years of one’s professional phase, it is imperative to first acknowledge that life’s pattern will change shortly. Reconciling to the change becomes easier when there is a plan in place - not just financial plans, which most of us diligently make these days, but also a blueprint for a new lifestyle. One can choose to return to a 9 to 5 routine post retirement too, with opportunities galore for experienced hands, but if that is not your choice, then looking for part-time engagements that will fulfill

your psychological and spiritual needs will work hugely in your favour. Plan ahead what you want to do once you superannuate, giving priority to staying relevant to yourself than to fulfill superficial needs.

Recognise that this is a phase where a majority of your responsibilities and obligations have been fulfilled and the golden years are exclusively yours. It is an empowering and liberating thought to revel in. Factor in variables like health and finance and set up your life within its new parameters. Above all, accept that that nothing lasts forever and whatever ends will find a new beginning too, with its own unique flavor and fervor.

We never become irrelevant or redundant in life; we merely cross milestones, adding life experiences, and we enter new territories hitherto unknown. Retirement isn’t a full stop. It is a comma, after which life continues to fulfill its own gentle purpose till the bell tolls.

- Asha Iyer Kumar is a Dubai-based author, children’s creative writing coach and youth motivational speaker.

• Dubai