I don't get a chance to talk to my mother often between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sometimes during the best times to call I'm busy and at other times she is out having fun when I try to reach her.
She and her husband enjoy sunny days and walks outside without a jacket. They are looking forward to enjoying American Thanksgiving on the weekend with another couple from our province and continuing to relax.
They spend a few months every winter in Arizona and although I'm happy for them I admit I'm a little bit jealous.
My mom is less than 21 years older than I and she has already been retired for a number of years. She enjoys a property down south and a large comfortable home in Saskatchewan.
Sometimes I imagine and hope for a future where my husband and I won't have to work anymore, but more often I see us continuing to have to be employed full time for several decades and working part time for the rest of our lives.
I know I have made different career decisions than my parents did, but it doesn't mean I don't work as hard as they did. I don't know how many in my generation will ever reach retirement.
Most of the people I know who are my age or younger took out substantially larger mortgages at later ages than their parents did. I know many people in the area who have more credit card and recreational debt than people in my parents' generation could have even imagined and I wonder how much room it leaves for retirement investment planning.
My father was a careful investor, on track to reach the 'freedom 55' goal. Unfortunately he passed away just a couple of months after turning 55.
I haven't seen the freedom 55 commercials with the youthful grey haired couples enjoying beaches and time with grandchildren in a while. I heard a program on the radio recently saying the age of retirement is rising. Looking at the health and vitality of people over 65 in this day and age it isn't a surprise to see so many people in the work force, but I think some are there by choice and others by necessity.
My grandparents retired and left the farm when they were near 60 and more than 30 years later my grandmother still enjoys good health and an active life.
I don't have a crystal ball and don't know for sure what will happen in our future, but 60 isn't really that far away from us and unless we win a lottery we won't be building a brand new house and retiring to travel anytime soon.
I don't mean to complain I just know I have to make sure I keep enjoying my work, I'll be doing it for a long time.
