Field Notes

A weekly letter about what I am facing, what knocked me sideways, what I did about it, and what made me laugh when I was not expecting to. Written on Sunday evenings. Delivered to your inbox on Monday mornings. And kept here, for whenever you need them.

All Field Notes

7 SEPTEMBER 2026

Starting Down the Path

Stepping into retirement is often framed as a triumphant finish line - but what happens when the path ahead looks completely unfamiliar? In this episode, I explore the shock of transition, the myth of the "ideal retirement" and why acknowledging that you feel lost is the first real step toward finding your feet.

 9 SEPTEMBER 2026

The Day Everything Changed

A single doctor’s visit, an unexpected diagnosis, or a sudden loss can slice life neatly into "before" and "after." Sue speaks candidly about receiving her Stage 4b ovarian cancer diagnosis a week after her 70th birthday, processing shock and learning how to stand firm when the future is suddenly in question.

16 SEPTEMBER 2026

What Nobody Tells You About Retirement

Why is nobody talking about the hidden grief of retirement? Sue tackles the societal pressures to stay cheerful, the loss of unwritten social contacts, and the frustration of finding that standard retirement guides are written for lives that exist only on brochure covers.

23 SEPTEMBER 2026

Learning To Live In The Moment

"Live in the present" sounds like a trite phrase from a greeting card—until a serious diagnosis makes tomorrow entirely unpredictable. Sue breaks down what living in the moment actually requires when you are dealing with chronic uncertainty, health scans, and waiting rooms.

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