After working in our family business for 33 years (with a brief retirement for 4 years), I finally retired… for good. On May 1, 2018 at 67, I started my first day of retirement with my coffee, a new yellow pad, and my favorite pen. On each page I wrote a heading about what — or specifically who — is truly important to me: health, myself, husband, children, grandchildren, friends, church and ministry, and of course all those to-do’s that have been put off like forever. I sat, prayed, and began to fill in those pages with goals I wanted to accomplish.
I’ve done the health and medical work, am on a good (and successful) diet plan (12 lbs), spent some real quality time with those important “header” page people in my life, been to a family reunion, and to be quite honest, rested and de-stressed from life as a working gal. I set a goal to write actual letters and notes to people on my heart each week. (What’s 50 cents? 2 candybars I don’t need!) In this fast-paced world of emails, texts, and all sorts of social media outlets, I thought I might return to the “old” way of doing things…. push back the keyboard, make some space on my desk, and write a letter. It felt good. Simple as that. But the response from those who received those letters and notes has been heartwarming and yes, rewarding to me.
I have been looking for my niche. How can I give back? What can I say or do that might have an impact on the world around me? Well, I’ve jotted a lot of things down on post-it notes, journals, grocery lists and the like. I have discovered that there’s something about me that is special. I hear or read short phrases that just arrest me on the spot with how profound a truth it is. I’ve shared some of these with friends who have encouraged me to do more. And so, this is where I begin to “do more”.
On 8-8-18 I laid out my plan in the form of a circle where all of the “outlets” for what’s been stirring in me these last few months (truthfully, all my life). If you want to follow along on this journey begun 8-18-18, here is where we start:
Instagram: marypuplava Nana’s Post-It Notes
Blog: nanalovenotes.com The “Why” behind Nana’s Post-it note
Website: handmaiden.org My inspirational site for Christian women
Twitter: @nanamaryp Still a newbie at this!
I look forward to adding more features as time, talent, and trial and error permit.
Be blessed.
Love, Nana