Robert writes: “Last May I retired for the third and final time. It happened that my university asked on four weeks’ notice if I would teach physics until a full-time position was filled. So I returned to the routine of getting up early regularly, preparing lessons, grading papers, and all that for two semesters. In retrospect, it was good working again with students, seeing old colleagues, and generally feeling useful. For Thanksgiving last year my wife and I invited some 20 Chinese international students and others to our home for a sit-down family style dinner. We find international students quite appreciative of the chance to visit an American home. During the second semester we hosted a high school senior from Shanghai. That experience kept us going for five months as we were no longer empty nesters.

Also during the second semester I traveled to Perry County, Ky. with a group of students on a spring break mission trip. We worked five days in a “holler” repairing homes and interacting with the people being served. Finally, last July I traveled with seven others from our church to Ghana. There we spent 10 days at a Lutheran church and school teaching Vacation Bible School, trumpet and guitar lessons, and English.

With such activities and others, there hasn’t been much time for nostalgia. But the aging process is real. Things just take more time. Other things I just don’t do anymore. In the meantime, there are plenty of tasks around the house. I still go to school twice a week to sit in on a Chinese language class. Last Saturday I ran a 5K race. With only two competitors in my age group, it wasn’t too hard to place. So life goes on.”