As I was taking my morning hike I began to reflect on how I was blessed with early retirement. It came to me as I was feeling my aches and pains. Pains brought on from the last two weeks of hard labor on my property. I had ten trees that had died that I cut down. I also had to dig up and replace the entire front yard irrigation (sprinkler) system. Of course the sprinkler system, which was originally installed in 1988 long before I moved here was in some odd locations and very deep.

I am not used to the rigors of ditch digging and plumbing. My back and knees are not happy. But I was still able to pull off a 4 mile hike today and watch the birds, prairie dogs, mountains and wild flowers as I trekked towards my destination. I was thinking about how the last two weeks were not all that leisurely for Leisure Freak Tommy. But then it hit me. How can I complain about anything? People wish to be in my shoes now.

Blessed in many ways

Health

I am blessed with the physical capabilities and health to have performed all the work that needed to be done. Sure I am paying for it. My 56-year-old back and knees are a bit over worked and strained. But by doing these things myself I have to think I saved a lot of money. Because it was never a question in my mind to do all the work. I didn’t get any bids. But I would have to bet that it would have been a large amount of money to hire all of this out.

Family

I am blessed with family. I was able to spend time this Father’s Day weekend with my daughters and their families. I took time to think about my father who passed several years ago and my son, my first-born, who has also passed away. Fatherhood is a big part of me and I am blessed that I have the time in early retirement while I am still young enough to enjoy it to be around my family and give my grand-kids a chance to know me and I them. They grow up so fast.

Freedom

I am blessed with the freedom to live my life on my own terms. There is no executive calling out for sixty hour work weeks or managers cancelling vacations this summer to meet work and budgetary goals. No, those days are behind me and even if this Leisure Freak took a new and exciting opportunity and that kind of thing happened, then it would no longer be something I would stay to deal with. It is nice calling my own shots.

Open and Logical Mind

I am blessed to have a mind that embraced the worthy goal of early retirement. Even having the mind to accept the “retire early and often” lifestyle. It doesn’t happen overnight and being blessed with a kind of bullheadedness to stick to the plan has blessed me indeed.

Spouse

I am blessed with having a wife who would accept living a smart frugal and balanced life so that we could give our children all the important things in life without going overboard. I have heard many stories of marriages and finances ripped apart when both spouses could not be on the same page. I am truly blessed in this area. Divorce or even just having an overspending spouse will derail any dreams of early retirement.

I am blessed with a life now lived on my own terms and being with people I love and who amazingly love me back.

I hope that you are also blessed with early retirement or soon will be. Have you felt blessed lately?