Living

“What do you do for a living?”

Quite a common question, often shortened to “what do you do?”. Typically this means “what’s your job or career?”. Being retired means the follow-up explanation of what one used to do. We all know the shorthand.

Isn’t it odd we equate “living” with a job, money, employment, getting?

As one who is retired, I find I do much more actual living. I have time every single day for things I used to struggle to fit into my day, most notably seeing around me, being able to engage with others and the world. I am considerably slowed down in a very good way.

It’s not that anything is different except where my attention is allocated. I allow myself to be present differently. Everything that captures my attention now was always there, I was just hurriedly looking past it to whatever was demanding me. Distracting me from actually living.

I never really needed to “make” a living, I needed to live. Everything else is an adornment, an add-on to what is important. Just like with a Christmas tree, the only living part is the tree itself. Everything else is an ornament or adornment.

When I try to make Jesus an ornament rather than the living part of my life, I sadly miss out. To truly live, I need to walk with Jesus, and notice the blessings and graces of the day. Everything else is an add-on.