He's Coming Home!

Life is getting ready to change on the farm.  Hubby is coming home...to stay.

After 38 years of owning and operating his Insurance and Real Estate firm he is passing it off to his younger partners and coming home.   It is truly the beginning of a whole new era. 

He's been talking about retiring for the past year or more.  The discussions have gradually become more serious and I began to think he just might be going to do it.  The kids and I discussed it and Hubby and I talked but nothing was ever decided.  Leaving a business that you have put your life into is not a small decision.

Thirty-eight years ago he made a leap of faith and decided to join a friend in his insurance agency.  That first year was a time of learning and falling in love.  Hubby discovered that insurance was the perfect blend of selling and business, both of which he excelled at.  He immersed himself into the world of insurance and found himself enjoying learning the clientele and all their various needs and problems.   I have often been amazed to hear him answering a call at home and being able to remember the policy and coverage to reassure an insured with a loss.  He loved going to the homes, farms or businesses and visiting with the people while they discussed their insurance needs.  It was satisfying to be able to help people when a loss occurred.  For him, the business was about helping others.

So, even talking about retiring was a big step.

 So after several months of talking, he announced that he was definitely going to retire on January 1.  The kids and I exchanged a glance and began making plans for our "Retirement Lottery" selections.  You see, none of us were really sure he was serious.  Let me tell you there were some serious bets being made on when he would actually "do the deed"!  We all lobbied for the date that was closest to our choices...all is fair in love, bets and retirements.  Hubby just smiled and went to work. 

January came and went and so did February.  I think the challenge of getting out each day and going to work in the snow kept him from leaving.  That and he could leave all the snow chores for our son to take care of!

Then he announced that he would be retiring on April 1.  Out came the calendars as everyone checked their dates to see who would win the lottery.  April came with green fields and blooming trees and Hubby kept going over the hill and into town each day.  After a little head-shaking bets were crossed off and new ones added.  The family started having serious discussions on whether or not he actually would retire. 

The next date he announced was June 1.  "This one is the real date!" he proclaimed.  "I want to be off in June so I can get my hay up without stressing."  I thought that one might actually be accurate since I knew the anxiety of trying to catch the right number of sunny days when you were only off Wednesday afternoon and Saturday afternoon.  In a perfect world you would cut on Wednesday and bale on Saturday or cut on Saturday and bale on Wednesday.  I can tell you that it is a rare year when it works out like that.  So my money was on June....until June was marching on.

So when he announced that he was going to retire, for sure, on July 1, we all just looked at him and replied, sarcastically, "Sure you will!" (By then we had all lost our bets!)

Well he did.

Today is officially his last day of work.  Tomorrow I will have company on the farm.  I will no longer be the one in charge.  I will no longer be able to plan my day with no interruptions.  (I will no longer be able to sneak in an afternoon of book reading without anyone knowing!)  I will have company and maybe even a little help with my chores. 

It's the beginning of a whole new era for us.   Part of me is excited to begin this new adventure.  The other part of me  wonders if I shouldn't start looking for a job as a Wal-Mart greeter.  The hill may be too small for both of us.