The Work That Still Calls Us

When “retired” doesn’t mean what you thought it would

I used to think retirement would be simple.

Not easy, necessarily—but clear. A distinct shift, a closing of one chapter and the opening of another. I imagined more open space. Fewer to-do lists. Less internal pressure to keep producing.

And yet here I am—still building, still working… in a way.

Not in the way I used to. But not, not working either.

A little secret. I don’t like taking out my laptop. That’s called work. So, I do most of my writing and publishing on my mobile devices. That’s play. 😉

Some weeks, I fall into old patterns—measuring progress by what gets checked off and how “on schedule” I stay. Other weeks, I float between projects, unsure if I’m procrastinating or just giving myself breathing room. I don’t always know the difference.

But I do know this: I’m not done. Not with the stories I want to tell. Not with the women I write for. Not with the threads I’m trying to weave between fiction and real life.

So even though this didn’t land in your inbox on Tuesday… It still matters. Because the work that calls us doesn’t always show up in neat weekly slices. Sometimes it comes quietly. Sometimes it asks us to listen differently.

Thanks for being here while I figure it out.

More fiction is coming. But today, I just wanted to send you this.

So here’s what I’m trying next:

I’m shifting my fiction day to Fridays, which is a better rhythm for where I am right now.

And then watch for the first chapter of Mirage of Trust, the next book in the Women of the Canyon series.

I hope you’ll meet me there.

Marylee

P.S. I’d love to hear from you—

Have you found yourself in this strange middle space, where you’re “retired” but still working in some way?

How have you navigated it? What surprised you?

Hit comment or reply and let me know. I’m listening.

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