“I hear you’re retiring.” This remark has been made by countless people in recent weeks. And yes, in July I retire from my role as Assistant Minister of the Benefice of Adbaston, High Offley, Knightley, Norbury, Woodseaves, Gnosall and Moreton. Why? Simply because I have passed the age at which clergy may continue in office in the Church of England.

It will be my second retirement in recent years. The first was when I retired as a chaplain in health and social care. For almost 20 years I had the privilege of offering support to older people, including many with dementia or severe and enduring mental health conditions. In that time, I met some amazing people and learned a great deal about living well with dementia.

Retirement from the Benefice means that I shall hang up my clerical robes and put away my clerical collars for a few months. Later in the year I may be given ‘permission to officiate’ and be able to take a limited number of services. I have no plans, though, to move from the house in Gnosall we bought in 2018 after my husband’s retirement.

For some, retirement is an exciting prospect – a season of opportunity and possibility. But it can also be daunting and disorientating. Now that I’m retired, who am I? Who might I become? And what will I do?

Family and friends who are long-retired leave me in no doubt that retirement marks a significant transition in life. We may face the loss of a role we’ve had for all or most of our working life and the status it brought. With work no longer providing a place to meet people, we may have to find new ways of making meaningful social connections.

Retirement presents the challenge of adjusting to a fixed income. We need to be realistic about our ability to maintain our homes and gardens as we’ve done in the past. If health becomes an issue we may face tough decisions about where we live.

Navigating the journey of retirement will take me time, especially as activities that give me a sense of purpose are closely linked to the church. Like all retirees I shall need to find a new rhythm of daily life. Yet I’m grateful that I won’t, like many clergy, be moving from church accommodation to a home of my own in a new area.

Retirement is not simply stopping work; it is the beginning of a phase where we rethink how we spend our time. We may hope to reconnect with passions and interests that have taken a backseat during recent years. Years ago, I fancied the idea of learning Welsh in retirement. I also thought I might take up the organ again. Now, though, my goals are more modest: to return to a choir, take regular exercise and spend time with family and friends.

I firmly believe that retirement does not mean the end of significance and meaning for our lives. Our role may change but we still have responsibilities and opportunities to serve. Whatever our age and stage in life, we are held in God’s love. Moreover, God has plans and purposes for us. So with the writer of Psalm 71 we can trust our future to God’s care.

O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
So even to old age and grey hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might
to all the generations to come.
Your power and your righteousness, O God,
reach the high heavens.

Revd Cathy Dakin