Diane R
What was the happiest moment of your life?
When I got married to my husband. Jerry & I started out as friends within a co-ed softball league and discovered pretty quickly that we had a lot of similar interests. He really was my best friend for my entire life.
Who has been most influential in your life?
My (now deceased) husband. He was the type of guy who never knew a stranger. I am not like that AT ALL so I really tried to learn from him. Even when he was sick, he never complained and had a wonderful attitude, which I always admired about him. He was always content with the simple things in life, just happy to be with family.
What advice or quote did you always try to live by?
Whenever I would get upset about something and/or somebody would make me mad, I had a former boss always tell me “Be like a duck, let it roll off your back.” I always appreciated that grounding statement. It was so simple yet so wise. There are so many things that really aren’t worth getting upset about when you really think about it, just let it go…..be like a duck!
What is one memory from your past you cherish?
This is somewhat of a sad moment, yet equally beautiful and something I really do cherish. When my husband was very close to his death, he and I were sitting together trying to have a conversation. Now keep in mind, he had tongue and throat cancer along with a trach so he really wasn’t able to talk very clearly at that point. But he mouthed to me, “it’ll be okay.” And it was just the reassurance I needed, and just the person I needed the reassurance from. I knew at that point, no matter what, it WAS going to be okay.
Any regrets or advice you’d give to a younger you?
Don’t drink so much! Prioritize what really matters and don’t work so much.
Anything else you wish to share?
I always thought that I would work until I died. I always told people “I can’t imagine not working.” Yet now that I’m retired, I’m able to see there is so much more than just work. It’s actually really interesting that what I did for a living for so many years (Human Resources Management) is SO different than where I’m finding myself in retirement. I’m proof that there’s always opportunity to grow in new areas and do new things, no matter how old you are. I am a very introverted person, and so when I moved to a new neighborhood in a new city, one of the first things that I did was forced myself to join a gardening club here in my neighborhood. And I really didn’t even know very much about gardening, but it was more about just trying to meet people, and I have found better friends than I’ve had maybe in my lifetime (and I’ve learned so much about landscaping!!). In retirement, I’ve been able to find meaningful volunteer opportunities, made some fabulous friendships, and actually get to sleep in past 5 a.m.! I specifically love my Mondays helping with the Giving Voice Foundation’s Creative Connections program. It’s something I really look forward to every week. Getting to spend time with people that are really going through a tough time in their life, yet we are still able to laugh and enjoy ourselves for a moment in time. I’m just very proud to be a part of that.