Life Transition: A Story of Reality

When a close working colleague took his own life last November, it was a wakeup call for me to pay attention to the effects and implications of transitions on individuals. I recalled one of the conversations I had with this colleague upon his re-entry to a lower level corporate job three years after he retired from a very senior position in a big company. The discussion regarded important decision making. His comment to me was, “I had to make a very important decision this past Saturday – do I make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or do I made macaroni and cheese for my grandson’s lunch?” The comment was thoughtful, yet the sadness in his eyes and lackluster in his voice told me another story. He was depressed. The joy of being a grandfather in a new life setting could not be appreciated in this case. His transition between the two lives was not properly prepared for nor bridged.