The art of knowing when to stop
I started helping out with my mom’s jewelry shop when I was eight years old. I remember how mom would ask my sister Janina and me to keep the jewelry from the display cases so they could be stored safely for the night. We would do this every weekend, our little hands carefully tucking away pieces of gold and gems that sparkled under the store lights.
During the day, we were in charge of cleaning, armed with alcohol and sheets of old newspaper to wipe the mirrors and glass showcases in time for opening. This went on for years, a ritual of sorts. Eventually, mom trusted us with more grown-up tasks, like making calls for her. The phone back then was a rotary dial telephone, which was no fun at all, especially when the number you were dialing happened to be busy.
Working for mom became our after-school program. Before long, we were assisting her in her shops, learning the ropes, observing the customers, and understanding what made a piece of jewelry truly special. Naturally, when she and dad retired, my siblings and I took over. It was never even a question. It was a continuation.
Now, decades later, I find myself asking a different question: Should I start thinking about retirement soon?
I will be 54 next year. Having worked since I was a child, I sometimes feel like I have lived several working lifetimes already. My two daughters, Jody and Jacqui, are both grown and fully equipped to take over the business if they choose to. And so, the thought of stepping back, of simply sitting down and enjoying the fruits of my labor, feels both inviting and unfamiliar.
In six and a half years, I will be a senior citizen. If I am fortunate to remain healthy in mind and body, should I keep working until my mind gives out? Or should I embrace the idea of slowing down and savoring what I have built?
I often wonder if other women my age are thinking the same thing.
Businesswoman Christine Yap-Tan shares, “I do think about my retirement, although not as seriously as I should. I hope I can do this at 65 or 70. I come from a family of late retirees. My dad, who is 88, still goes to work every day, though I think he does it so he does not get bored at home. Hopefully one of my kids can take over the business before I grow too old. I would love to travel without having to think about my responsibilities at home or at work.”
Just like Christine, although I get to travel quite often, I too long to see more of the world without the need to rush back because of work. The idea of extending a vacation just because I feel like it sounds blissful.
Dr. Gwyneth Bautista Velez feels the same pull toward slowing down but not stopping entirely. “As a doctor, I cannot imagine myself totally not seeing patients,” she says. “Though I think about retirement, the only thing I can do right now is cut back and take more days off from the clinic. I feel 65 would be the right age for me to stop working. Once I retire, I will have more time to spend with my family in Manila and hopefully travel with them by my side.”
“I honestly haven’t thought much about retirement yet. I am really lucky that I enjoy what I do. Being a dermatologist allows me to meet all kinds of people, and many of my patients eventually become good friends. My work also gives me the chance to travel often, and I always try to mix a little bit of fun with work wherever I go. I feel very fortunate to have a profession that allows me to do both. If I were to dream about retirement, I would love to have a place in Lake Como someday. It would be wonderful to wake up to that view and just enjoy the peace and beauty of the lake with my two sons. Hopefully, with continued hard work, that dream will come true,” says Dr. Windie Villarica.
“Retirement has been top of mind lately, especially as my kids are now grown up and want to plan ahead for the later years. I think I will be occupied with projects until much later to keep the mind and body active. I am looking forward to traveling with my husband when we both retire and would be happy to settle down in a location by the ocean,” shares Justine Espina-Letargo.
Listening to women like Christine, Gwyneth, Windie, and Justine makes me realize that retirement means different things to each of us. Some of us imagine a complete pause. Others simply want to reduce the pace, to trade deadlines for sunsets, and meetings for mornings without alarms.
For me, perhaps it is not about stopping, but about choosing when to move and when to rest. If I can leave my business debt-free, organized, and ready for my girls to take over, I would have lived a very healthy working life.
And when that time comes, whether at 60, 65, or whenever the universe says it is time, I hope I can look back and say I worked with purpose, lived with joy, and passed on something meaningful that will last beyond me.
