Retirement and Finding Neverland…
Today I attended a retirement luncheon for my Dad held at the Bakersfield Country Club. After 41 years of service to his company he’s ready for a little rest and relaxation. Everyone in attendance at the luncheon had nothing but wonderful things to say about my Dad. Things like:

He was always so helpful. So knowledgeable. So patient. He had all the answers to problems. He always knew the right things to say. He was a hard-worker. A good friend. A man of integrity. And my favorite—he was the ‘token male’ at co-worker lunchtime outings.

It was a wonderful tribute to my Dad, the ‘best’ man I’ve ever known.

So what now? After 41 years of working… what does one do with their time?

Find his ‘Neverland’... Find the ‘Peter Pan’ within him that has refused to grow up over the years. What is Neverland? Some say it is a journey to imagination, creativity, to the ‘wish’ part of our brain. Neverland is about the things that make us laugh, cry, believe and fly! You can be an adult, mature, and responsible and still be in touch with your inner child and have fun and adventure. Be Peter Pan! That is a life worth living! In Neverland my Dad will spend days with a fishing pole by a lake or a river enjoying the great outdoors. In Neverland he’ll cruise to Alaska and see great ice glaciers. In Neverland there are many adventures awaiting him-- if he just thinks happy wonderful thoughts and ‘believes’.

I walked to my car after the luncheon was over. After saying goodbye to my Dad and family. On the ground beside my car was a golf tee. I bent down and picked it up. I looked at it, studied it. It had been used-- pushed into the ground in a recent game of golf on the Country Club golf course. Some adult had spent the day playing… I smiled and put the golf tee in my pocket. It was a souvenir of the day. A reminder to take time out from work for a little adventure. It was fitting. And I thought... I want to journey to Neverland. I want to be Peter Pan. I want to have that sense of adventure, journey to that wonderful land of imagination and creativity. I want to experience life while I’m still living it. I want to believe that anything is possible. I want to find my Neverland…  posted by Matildakay at 10:45 PM