As told to The Growing Home by Maya L. and edited lightly for clarity and flow. I used to think I was great with people. I could walk into a busy coffee shop in Chicago, order an oat milk latte at Starbucks, make a joke with the barista and leave feeling like I had done … Read more

This is an as-told-to essay from Owen R., shared with The Growing Home and edited for clarity and flow. I had the kind of retirement people congratulate you for. I had the paid-off bungalow in Oak Park, Illinois, the tidy savings account, the good blood pressure, the new patio chairs and a garage so organized … Read more

This as-told-to essay was submitted by Walter S. to The Growing Home and edited for length and clarity. I met my wife in Chicago in 1974, in a crowded church basement that smelled like percolated coffee and wet wool coats. Somebody had brought a tray of supermarket cookies. A man near the folding chairs was … Read more

As told to The Growing Home by Uma R.; edited lightly for flow, length and clarity. I remember the exact night because the kitchen light was too bright, the tea had gone lukewarm and my husband looked older than I had ever seen him. We were sitting in our little brick house in Evanston, just … Read more

This as-told-to essay was submitted to The Growing Home by Willa R. and edited for clarity and flow. I noticed it in line at Trader Joe’s in Oak Park, just outside Chicago. The cashier handed me the wrong receipt and before she could say a word, I smiled and said, “Oh, I’m sorry.” She looked … Read more

This as-told-to essay was shared by Renee P. with The Growing Home and edited for length and clarity. I used to think love would speak for itself. I live in Oak Park, just outside Chicago and for years my days ran on lists nobody else could see. I knew which kid needed gym shoes by … Read more

As told to The Growing Home by Helen R. and edited for length and clarity. I turned 60 in a grocery store parking lot outside a Trader Joe’s in Seattle, or at least that is how it felt. I had just loaded two paper bags into my car when my phone lit up with another … Read more

This as-told-to essay was submitted by Ava R. to The Growing Home and edited for length and clarity. I remember one Saturday in Chicago when I stood in the Trader Joe’s checkout line with a basket full of things for one, soup, raspberries, a tiny basil plant and a frozen pizza I planned to eat … Read more

This as-told-to essay was shared by Olivia R. with The Growing Home and edited for length and clarity. I used to think unhappiness would arrive with a crash. I pictured slammed doors, a dramatic goodbye, or some giant loss that left a mark you could point to. What I had was softer than that. It … Read more

As told to The Growing Home by Ava R. and edited for clarity and flow. I remember the first morning after retirement with painful detail. I woke up at 5:12, the same way I had for years when I was driving from Oak Park into downtown Chicago for work at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. My body … Read more