Mornings for most of the population are a stressful time. Getting yourself up, showered, dressed, fed and out the door on time is a challenge, more so if you throw school-age children into the mix. Then, you’re faced with sitting in your car for an hour seething about the construction delays in rush-hour traffic or jamming your tender body onto the train, bus or streetcar with hundreds of other sweating, backpack-briefcase-tote-bag-toting bodies vying for your inch of standing room. I’m not without sympathy or empathy; I did it for over forty years but now that I’m retired things are different and mornings are a joy.

One of my daily pleasures is reading The Globe and Mail each morning over multiple cups of tea. I rarely get through it without finding an inspirational thought for my blog and today was one of those days. Therein lies the challenge. This morning as I read Margaret Wente’s column, Suddenly, I’m the oldest person in the room – and I love it, my heart started to beat faster and I’m saying to myself, “yes, yes, yes”.

I can so relate to her description of at one time being the only woman in the room at a business meeting and often the youngest. That was me when I was in the corporate world of construction, dressed in a power suit I spent way too much money on and feeling very energized and involved in whatever was going on. Today’s first big decision, however, was whether to finish reading the paper, which I love doing, or sprint to my computer to write, which I also love doing. The latter won out.

I too find myself looking at younger people without envy. As a retired Boomer I’ve paid my dues, multiple times over. My five-year-plan no longer involves promotions, paying off my VISA or my mortgage, should I change jobs or not, or is this the right time to have kids? My options are almost unlimited and do not involve the whims of bosses, banks or benchmarks.  Margaret, you’re so right. Nobody is the boss of me any more and retirement is wonderful. I couldn’t have said it better myself.