The Annual Retirement Celebration Tradition

Today was the first day of school for the kids. And that means that it is the Annual Retirement Jubilee!! One of the teachers who retired from the district where I worked for 30 years decided that there should be a celebration for retired staff on this day...like champagne and sitting in lawn chairs and waving at the school buses as they went by on their way to school. I seem to remember it starting like a joke..."I'll be out there waving to you..."
Well, it actually is a very nice gathering of retired folk and a very tasty brunch. An open invitation to all retirees, it is always fun to see the faces of the 'newly retired'! Arrive with a dish to pass and a great big smile and let the fun begin. It is amazing to reunite with the people with whom you have spent so much time on a daily basis. Some of them I still see on a regular basis:[breakfast, a shopping excursion to The Christmas Tree Shop or Marshalls], another friend tells me about her grown up children [who were students in my 5th grade classroom], some bring fruit from their prolific garden or fruit-bearing trees,and some of the faces are new to me. There are 3 different buildings within the district and many jobs from teachers, counselors, cafeteria crew, secreterial wizards, support staff, PSEN assistants [holy cow...remember that giant record keeping program ??!!], Title 1 ...I mean Chapter 1 people, Special Ed...I mean Committee for Special Education...Resource Room, coaches, etcetera, etcetera, and so forth! [The King and I].
It's a "See you next year-God willing and the crick don't rise!"
What percent were happy to be there and not sweating with the kiddies? 99.9% of us.
The one tenth is remembering opening day, new beginnings, and guiding the future Social Security Funders of America!! And aahh...oh yeah...hearing the 'Whew' at the end of the Day One!! [followed by the 'oh my gosh, only one hundred eighty-something more'.] Retired! Wahoo!!