The coming of Christmas — and the beginning of a new year — has a way of inviting reflection. For many, this time carries mixed emotions. Some have endured difficult, even traumatic, times this year. Others look back and see growth and healing or unexpected progress along their journey. For most of us, it’s a little of both.
For me, this season arrives three years after a major life change: retirement.
For most of my adult life, my days were shaped by deadlines, news cycles, community issues and the constant responsibility of telling stories that mattered. Journalism wasn’t just a job; it was my calling and, in many ways, my first love.
I spent decades paying attention—to people, to current events and to the issues shaping our local communities. That work gave my days urgency and purpose.
Then retirement arrived, as it does for everyone who works long enough. And with it came change—both welcome and challenging.
When you step away from a career that has defined your identity, you’re forced to ask different questions. Who am I without the newsroom? What do I do with time that no longer belongs to deadlines or breaking news? What does the next chapter look like?
For me, the answers didn’t come all at once. They arrived gradually, through new priorities and quieter disciplines. I began focusing on my physical health—something I had always placed second to work. Fitness, strength, energy and overall well-being became intentional pursuits rather than afterthoughts. Taking care of my body has become an act of stewardship, not vanity.
At the same time, I started thinking more deliberately about the final years of my life—not with fear, but with clarity. Retirement has a way of sharpening your sense of time. You begin to understand that every season matters. How you live now shapes not only your future, but your peace.
Most recently, I’ve entered a new and deeply personal chapter: a renewed commitment to spiritual discipline. I’ve made space to read and study the Bible with intention—not casually, not sporadically, but thoughtfully. I’m paying closer attention to its central figures, the context of its stories and most importantly, the life and teachings of Jesus.
This hasn’t been about checking boxes or adopting a public posture of faith. It’s been about slowing down enough to listen, learn and reflect.
In a culture that rewards noise and often discord, spiritual discipline asks for humility and patience. It asks us to sit with difficult questions rather than rush to easy answers.
The Christmas season reminds me that life is not just about what I produce or accomplish. It’s about who I am becoming. This season of reflection has revealed that growth doesn’t end when a career does. If anything, it deepens.
As a new year begins, I’m grateful for the change I perceive in me and for the work that shaped me, for the health that sustains me and for the quiet space that allows me to keep learning and growing.
Reflection, after all, is not about just looking backward. It’s about preparing our hearts for what comes next.
Cindy Allen 