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| St Martin et Lofer, Austria 30 Apr 2006 |
'A time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend. A time to plant and a time to uproot. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them together.' Ecc 3:6-7
We were holidaying in the picturesque Austrian village of St Martin et Lofer in April 2006 and this scene confronted us from our window in a chateau where we stayed. At once the second poem of Robert Frost which I had memorised as a teenager came to mind,
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
A traveller, perhaps a villager, farmer or woodsman, chanced upon a beautiful scene by some woods on a snowy evening. He was captivated by the near-silent atmosphere and scene, was tempted to stay longer. It was enticing to pause for a while to survey the scene, to rest and to linger. Perhaps, he was a retiree and had the time to linger awhile. Instead, after a short reminiscent moment, he acknowledged the pull of other obligations. There was a considerable distance yet to be travelled before he could rest for the night.
That snowy woods scene in Austria stopped me in my tracks to consider my retirement from the Singapore Armed Forces Medical Corps on 1 July 2001 and now, two other retirements since. As we stand on the threshold of change in retirement, some like this traveler, may be tempted to opt out of the challenges of life. We may prefer to linger in the alluring attraction of life's more comforting moments.
The same sentiments were echoed by Solomon in Ecc 3:9-14:
"What does a worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in his time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from the beginning to the end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and to do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his toil - this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men may revere him.”
In the necessary farewell rounds, we are often asked two questions. What are our achievements and what will we miss most in the job?
Achievements? There should be nothing much to boast about or to recount achievements. They were quickly forgotten. Some years down the road what we thought were our crowning achievements would have lost their significance and lustre. These achievements would be surpassed by others who follow after. To recount them would be pointless.
The Bible in Ecc 3:12 says that 'I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live'. What can be longer lasting than to have touched the lives of others? When asked what would he leave behind when he retires from politics, Mr Rajaratnam, past deputy Prime Minister of Singapore said that like the Cheshire cat, he wished to leave behind a smile.
Achievements? There should be nothing much to boast about or to recount achievements. They were quickly forgotten. Some years down the road what we thought were our crowning achievements would have lost their significance and lustre. These achievements would be surpassed by others who follow after. To recount them would be pointless.
The Bible in Ecc 3:12 says that 'I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live'. What can be longer lasting than to have touched the lives of others? When asked what would he leave behind when he retires from politics, Mr Rajaratnam, past deputy Prime Minister of Singapore said that like the Cheshire cat, he wished to leave behind a smile.
So what will we miss most? I think, people and friendships that have touched our lives - the esprit d'corps, the camaraderie, the mutual respect and esteem for each other. In the time that God had given in my three jobs, I have learnt to appreciate friends. Friendships made the work a calling and a joy, giving tremendous personal satisfaction. At my last retirement from the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, I said the lasting legacy I hope to leave behind and take with me are the fond memories.
We all wish that good careers would last could last forever. We got our relationships, security and hope that this will not end. But God has ordained a cycle of life and a season for change, 'A time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend. A time to plant and a time to uproot. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them together.' Ecc 3:6-7
We all wish that good careers would last could last forever. We got our relationships, security and hope that this will not end. But God has ordained a cycle of life and a season for change, 'A time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend. A time to plant and a time to uproot. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them together.' Ecc 3:6-7
So three retirements will not stop me in my tracks. Now, I have more time to turn my attention to the opportunities God may provide in the 'silver years' of life.
For many younger readers, who have longer runaways, find God's will in all you do and meet the challenges, embrace the toils of life and overcome. Remember what Solomon said, 'This is the gift of God that you may find satisfaction in all your toil.' Ecc 3:13. Find fulfillment; the toil is the process by which we grow.
The Rev Tony Tan once told that there are trees in Australia call the Yarra trees. There at the Australian outback; they grow strong and healthy. These trees are much sought after because the wood is very strong and yet flexible and therefore, good for building houses.
Some years ago, an African agricultural delegation arrived in Australia to looks for trees that could grow well in their country. Located at about the same latitude in the northern hemisphere, it was deemed that the climate and conditions must be quite similar. They thought what can grow well in Australia would do likewise in their own country. They exported the Yarra tree seeds back to Africa and planted them there.
The trees did grow fast and tall. However when they used the wood to build the houses, in no time at all, the wood would crack. It did not have the same tensile strength as those grown in Australia and cracked under pressure. That was puzzling. These trees are of the same genetic strain and the temperature and rainfall patterns are similar. The Africans finally discovered that there was one difference. It is very windy in the Australian outback whilst in Africa the place where they planted the trees was in a valley. There protected, between two mountains, there were no strong gales.
The Australian Yarra when growing from seedlings had to withstand and bend under the strong winds. The samplings were constantly buffeted by these storms and they had to grow under pressure. It was this constant friction and bending that made the Australian wood strong and resilient. Not so the African Yarra which grew quickly and easily but lacked the tensile strength.
There is a principle of the Yarra trees that we can apply. The tension, the storms of life and the hard work that we have to weather will in turn strengthen our resolve, build our ethos and make us strong and resilient.
Some years ago, an African agricultural delegation arrived in Australia to looks for trees that could grow well in their country. Located at about the same latitude in the northern hemisphere, it was deemed that the climate and conditions must be quite similar. They thought what can grow well in Australia would do likewise in their own country. They exported the Yarra tree seeds back to Africa and planted them there.
The trees did grow fast and tall. However when they used the wood to build the houses, in no time at all, the wood would crack. It did not have the same tensile strength as those grown in Australia and cracked under pressure. That was puzzling. These trees are of the same genetic strain and the temperature and rainfall patterns are similar. The Africans finally discovered that there was one difference. It is very windy in the Australian outback whilst in Africa the place where they planted the trees was in a valley. There protected, between two mountains, there were no strong gales.
The Australian Yarra when growing from seedlings had to withstand and bend under the strong winds. The samplings were constantly buffeted by these storms and they had to grow under pressure. It was this constant friction and bending that made the Australian wood strong and resilient. Not so the African Yarra which grew quickly and easily but lacked the tensile strength.
There is a principle of the Yarra trees that we can apply. The tension, the storms of life and the hard work that we have to weather will in turn strengthen our resolve, build our ethos and make us strong and resilient.
In the same way complete retirement and rest is not an option. Life goes on with all its attending challenges. In the words of Robert Frost, 'These woods are lovely dark and deep but I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep and miles to go before I sleep.' There, by the grace of God, go I.
Lionel
Acknowledgment: Story of the Yarra trees came from the Rev Tony Tan
Acknowledgment: Story of the Yarra trees came from the Rev Tony Tan
Updated article. First published 3 Nov 2007
Lionel
We enjoyed your blog....certainly a very interesting reflection of your golden years to come.
ReplyDeleteLast week we managed to catch the latest movie in town...'The pursuit of happyness' ...a struggling saleman who finally made it as a founder of a multi-million stock broking house. His achievement was a result of his undivided focus and perseverance in his pursuit of happiness. Likewise in our retiring and golden years we still need that undivided focus and perseverance that God has put in our heart to do.
I remember reading Bob Buford's book 'Halftime' when he shared his personal insight and true life experience on moving from mere success to true significance in his later half and best years of his life.
St Augustine once said that God is always trying to give good things to us, but our hands are too full to receive them. In your letting go may God fill your hands with many good things.
Blessings
Khoon Seng & Irene
You know, retirement from work doesn't mean that you also retire from life.
ReplyDeleteSo many of the folk I have come into contact with at work, well, most of them showed a decline once they retired from their jobs. They decided that they would stop challenging their minds and looking to the future, and they allowed their minds to deteriorate along with their health. These folk become old before their time. They feel old, so they also look old.
There are other folk who see retirement from work as the opportunity that they have been waiting for all their lives. They turn their attention to other things that they have neglected during the time that they have been working at their jobs - hobbies or interests that they have put aside in order to run the rat race. These folk are the ones who decide to take on something new - like maybe a diploma in history or art, or learning a foreign language, or going for music lessons. Or maybe they decided to reinstate a hobby and join a hobbyist club - like a film or book group, a collector's guild, or a salvation army volunteer. These are the folk who look 50 when they are really 90.
So yes, we all have miles to travel before we sleep. Many miles.