Sunday, I helped my beloved clean out his personal items and files from his workplace of almost 30 years. He is retiring this month.

What struck me was not the piles of papers… so many papers… but the outdated materials and books he had to leave behind because they were company-owned. He didn’t want to keep them, trust me! Truly, they should just be recycled. They are THAT out-of-date. But we left them for a co-worker to deal with according to company policy. (Feeling slightly guilty, I did label a bookcase “outdated manuals and reference books” to give them a head start!)

We chuckled at a software manual with 5.25” floppy disks, and another which promoted “the NEW” Windows 2000. We filled two large recycling boxes and had to use other trash cans for more. And still had four bags of trash when we were done.

What did we bring home? Some coffee mugs. Some personal books and mementos. And a bunch of family photos. Below is just one batch that I uncovered and had to smile. Our daughter’s personalities shine through…

What we carried home was what mattered, in the end. Yes, he did a lot for his company. Yes, he started some initiatives that helped their overall productivity and client base. And yes, he navigated the challenges of working during COVID, cancer, and everything else that life has smacked us in the face with these last 3 years.

I’m proud of him. Proud of his work ethic and perseverance. Proud of the way he cared for all of us. Grateful that he had a steady income which allowed our kids to go to college and start their own independent lives. The company may or may not fill his position, but they haven’t found a way to replace the person, the man, the friend, the Daddy, my beloved.

The timing of his retirement was not exactly his choosing, Physical challenges impact his energy and comfort level, and to do less than 1000% was really getting to him. But it’s time. God’s appointed time. As the writer of Ecclesiastes 3 wrote: To everything thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven…

There were a lot of emotions bubbling up as we worked. A planned-for retirement date is just around the corner. It was hard to leave that office… And God was in the midst of it all.

Thanks be to God.