Four years ago, when my work as a hospice bereavement manager came to an end, I began writing a series of short essays. At first, they were simply a way for me to make sense of my own transition into a new season of life. What began as a personal reflection soon became something I wanted to share, and many of you have faithfully traveled that journey with me through my weekly postings.

Over this past year, I've revisited each of those essays, reshaping them into free verse poems. Beginning now, I'll be sharing them with you each week—first the poem, and then, for those who would like to read further, the original essay along with a few questions for reflection.

As I look toward publishing this collection in book form next year, I need your help. Your thoughts, reflections, and responses have always enriched these writings, and I believe they could also be a gift to future readers. If something in a poem or essay speaks to you, I hope you'll share your response with me. With your permission, I'd like to include selected comments throughout the future book. I already have a number of thoughtful responses from when these essays and poems first appeared and may be in touch to ask if I might include them as well.

Thank you for being such faithful companions on this journey. Your encouragement, wisdom, and willingness to reflect alongside me have been a true gift, and I am deeply grateful. Now read on.  –Tricia

1.    The Wonder Years

“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” --Julian of Norwich

In stillness, I find a tender peace—
the quiet hum of a life unfolding,
stable, calm,gently known.

And yet, a flicker stirs within me—
a call to wander,
to stretch beyond the edges of comfort
into the luminous unknown.

Let me grow so rooted in presence
that patience becomes my guide,
trusting the rhythm of my days
as they bloom, slow and sure.

What joy awaits—
a door opening,
a window wide with wind and wonder.

So, raise your heart:
to life!
to every shimmering maybe,
to the thrill of becoming.

Let us keep walking

in awe,
for these— yes,
these are the wonder years.

Reflection #1 The Wonder Years

I woke up with a quiet sense of wondering, climbing out of bed at my usual go-to-work time. This was my first morning of retirement. I moved through familiar motions--Pouring a cup of coffee, listening to the morning news. walking the dog.

Later, standing before the mirror rinsing my face, I looked at my refection and asked, “What now?” What’s next? For years my life was shaped by structure—meetings, appointments, deadlines.

Now the framework has dissolved. I find myself fighting an anxiety that asks, “What should I do with this time? “What do I truly enjoy?” “Is there something I’ve always wanted to do but never had the chance?” “What shape should my days take now?”

This time of transition--retiring and leaving the final chapter of my working life—wasn’t about stopping. But, unlike before, this process of identity replacement would not arrive automatically. I had to shape it. I had to choose it.

In the early days and weeks, I tried to envision this new chapter of life. Then came an ah-ha moment. I realized what I truly needed was a pause. A break. Just like high school graduates who take a “gap year”, before heading off to college or beginning a career—a time to regroup, reflect, and decide what’s next—I could do the same. Why not claim this time for myself and call it my gap year?

I’ve come to define a gap year as the space between what was and what’s yet to come. It’s a time of transition—a chance to reimagine life, not as it has been, but as it could be. It’s a season to look back and gather the meaning from our life stories, to strengthen our inner resources, to get things in order, and to intentionally choose a direction for whatever comes next.

Already, I sense this won’t be an easy journey. But if you’re navigating a transition of your own— whether retirement or another major life shift— I invite you to walk alongside me.

Now it’s your turn

Take time to reflect and if in a group, share as you feel able.

In this Gap Year I:

a)    take time to reflect on my life, personal experiences, and unique way of navigating.

b)    relax, knowing that everyone else doesn’t have it figured out.

c)    look forward to moving from the places of comfort into the realm of the unknown.

d)    enter new adventures and say yes to possible possibilities.