258 Grief and Loss Across the Lifespan
have permission to change at their own pace, discover their passions, and
have an opportunity to share this process with others. Some believe that the
solution for uncertainty is planning and preparation (LPN, 2013). In contrast,
Ibarra (2003) believes that trying out new activities and “selves,” taking action
and experimenting with new options helps retirees to discover themselves.
Schlossberg (2009) believes that new activities and “selves” can be combined
and recommends constructing a personal narrative to identify passions, and
what matters, to modify ambition and practice resilience.
None of the adults who shared their stories of reinvention in this chapter
“had” to retire—for each one of them it was a choice they made because they
either wanted more balance in their lives or no longer had the energy for a
full-time position. For adults who do not choose to retire but are forced out of
positions, depression, and anxiety due to being confronted with such an unan-
ticipated loss may overpower the opportunity to enjoy exploring reinvention in
retirement.
Practitioners who are working with adults in this phase of life need to
help clients recognize their strengths and help them “let go” of some aspects
of their lives as they struggle to build a bridge to a new life that is meaningful.
Practitioners need to help adults in the third quarter of their lives to grieve
the losses of their former work attachments while they are moving forward
to forming new lives. Just as during any maturational change or transition,
the positive, forward looking approach receives more attention, as both the
retiree and friends and family want to focus on the positive aspects of the
transition, ignoring the need to grieve the losses involved in giving up one’s
long-established work identity.
The other concept that is critical to reinvention is that of meaning-
making or actualizing one’s life. This brings the concept of generativity to the
foreground because adults need to think about the purpose and meaning of
what they are doing. The concept of growth and transition throughout the life
cycle—even through years that may be laden with chronic illness and pain—
is critical to sustaining one’s life. Caregivers, counselors, social workers, and
educators need to heed this message and encourage adults struggling with
this passage to embrace this premise of growth.Discussion Questions
- How is the meaning of retirement/reinvention different for women than
men and how might this change as women represent greater numbers in
the workforce? What difficulties can arise in a marriage or partnership as a
result of these differences? - How might you intervene to help Malinda (vignette at beginning of the
chapter) who is struggling to find her path? - How can the journey of retirement/reinvention affect the lives of adult chil-
dren and their grandparents? How might you work with families who may
be struggling with this issue?