“Retired” is Not a Box to Check

The boxes to be checked

The form in front of me gave me choices to help differentiate who I am. There’s no box for wife, mom, or grandma, although there are boxes for married, single, or divorced. Another section of the form allowed me to list my credits in the workplace. I could check fulltime, part-time, or retired. That’s not fair. 

Oh sure, I’m retired. I phased out of work when the clinic in which I was working closed. I was “old enough” to retire and folks said I “deserved” it, but I’m not retired. I’m as busy now as I ever was. 

A mom never retires

That’s because a mom never retires. She’s always a mom. It doesn’t matter how old or how grown her kids are, nor does it matter if they live in the same state or in other states; she’s still a mom. That’s why a mom does not retire – because she’s never out of a job.

Being a Mom is a 24/7 job, and sometimes it means following your kids across different time zones, different careers, and different experiences. It always means praying for your kids no matter where they are or what they’re doing. That’s why a mom does not retire. She’s still the mom. She’s always the mom, no matter how old she is.

Retired? Never!

As long as a mom is in her right mind, she never goes out to pasture. That’s because she knows her kids and she’s their mom. Sure, things are different on the home front when they’re gone. There’s less laundry, less dirt in the house, and a whole lot less groceries to cart into the house and put away. Morning routines are quieter. Bedtime routines are no longer dependent on kids at home, because there are no kids at home. Yet this does not matter, because she’s still the mom. 

Retirement from a job might come and the last paycheck received from employment might be deposited, but a mom never, ever retires. She is always a mom.

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