A new husband

My husband John retired March 2, which we’ve been planning for months now (Readers, don’t let the headline panic you, he’s not driven me crazy and ran me off.) Since that day, I feel like I’ve gained a new husband.

Pre-Retirement John often worked 50- to 60-hour weeks as a sales rep. He worked every other Saturday. John’s company would notify him the evening before of his appointments the next day, so I could never count on him being home for dinner. I became the Queen of Meal Rearranging, always staying flexible on what we’d eat each evening.

With his busy schedule, I rarely asked him to do much around the house. I refused to complain, as I’ve been lucky to either work close to home or in it for almost 20 years. John mowed the lawn on weekends and fixed things here and there, and that was about it. We have a saying in our house – it isn’t broken until John Shankland says it is.

On his slower days, we’d grab a rare walk together with the dogs at lunch time. John struggled to eat healthy meals, as he was on the road constantly. Fast food was convenient and easy.

Over the past month, however, I’ve seen and experienced some wonderful changes. A couple of Saturdays ago, we worked together to clean our shed and do some yard work. I paused and had to blink back tears of joy. Strange to say, I used to dream of doing yard work alongside him years ago.

He’s not been sitting around doing nothing since retirement (other than the first couple of days – who could blame him!) Our garage is the cleanest I’ve seen in years. John’s overflowing with ideas about fixing things around the house and how to make it better. He has already started on the Honey Do list with enthusiasm.

We’ve been walking our dogs on the Nickel Plate Trail near our house almost every weekday, and going for longer walks on the weekends. John’s been eating smoothies – with fruits AND veggies – on a regular basis. In just four weeks, he’s lost six pounds.

I’ve had dinner almost every evening with my husband over the past month. I don’t think we’ve ever been able to do that in our 27 years of marriage! I no longer have to erase and rearrange meals on our refrigerator chalkboard.

It’s been fun to have Retirement John in my life. The dogs are even enjoying the extra attention. We’re talked about getting an RV and traveling around the country in a few years. That goal seems even more realistic now, as I can take my laptop and work on projects when we’re on the road.

I’ve always loved my husband. I intend to enjoy this “new one” more and more in the years to come.

Amy Shankland is an empty-nester, writer, and fundraising professional living in Noblesville with her husband John and two dogs. You can reach her via email at amys@greenavenue.info.