Lughnasa Waning Green Corn Moon
Kate turns 65. Once in our culture this birthday was as important as 21. It meant the date when retirement began for most workers. Now it is another birthday since the retirement date has been sliding gradually forward as one of the “fixes” for social security. Kate and I both have a social security retirement date of 66. Those born after 1960 have a retirement date of 67. The consensus of things I’ve read suggest that age will have to get pushed to 70 in any new fix.
It still seems like a milestone of sorts, halfway between 60 and the three score and ten of a good life in the Jewish tradition. Wonder if they’ve upped the age, maybe to three score and fifteen? I read a great sermon on aging by a rabbi. He is 92 or so. When asked how he felt about having lived so long, he said, “Surprised.”
It will be good when Kate comes home for good. Her back needs the rest and her heart can use the freedom. We have a life here that is full and complete, one that needs the both of us with our increasing gardens alongside our creative and volunteer work. She’s worked hard all her life and earned good money, so our retirement will be fine from a financial perspective.
Early on when she told me how money she made, my mouth dropped open. It didn’t occur to me that people I knew might make that much. Now I know she’s on the low end for docs, but it’s still a lot, plenty. I said then and believe now that taking care of children is a morally unambiguous way to earn a living, one of the few I know. So there are no regrets with her level of income for either of us.
Her gifts are much larger than that however. She’s kind, generous, imaginative and patient. She’s a great cook, a highly skilled seamstress and quilter and has a green thumb. I’m lucky to have found her in this big world.
