Do you know someone who’s getting ready to retire? It’s an exciting time for many people, but others may worry about how they’ll fill their days.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- Funny Retirement Quotes
- Happy Retirement Quotes
- Retirement Quotes for Teachers
- Retirement Quotes for a Boss
- Retirement Quotes for a Friend
Reassure your retiring friends that they will have a full, happy life by sharing one of these quotes about retirement. Some of the quotes are meant to be read tongue-in-cheek. Others are important reminders that life doesn’t end once the daily commute ends.
Here are some quotes you may wish to share with the retiree in your life.
Funny Retirement Quotes
Has your friend, family member, or coworker been looking forward to retirement since they started work? Here are some quotes that may bring a broader smile to an already-smiling face.
1. “I have put my heart and my soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process.” — Vincent Van Gogh
Van Gogh must have spoken these words with irony and humor — though did it have a different connotation in 1890?
2. “The brain is a wonderful organ; it starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get into the office.” — Robert Frost
The golden years are the perfect time for checking off items on your retirement bucket list, not filling out TPS reports correctly!
3. “Retirement is like a long vacation in Las Vegas. The goal is to enjoy it to the fullest, but not so fully that you run out of money.” — Jonathan Clements
Your retiring friend will understand this dilemma about retirement. Hopefully, this quote is funny enough to make light of an often too-real situation.
4. “A retired husband is often a wife’s full-time job.” — Ella Harris
The marriage relationship tends to change during retirement. Couples sometimes have to get used to being around each other more. Share this quote if you feel that this may describe the retiree’s scenario.
5. “There’s never enough time to do all the nothing you want.” — Bill Watterson
Your coworkers’ retirement goal may be to rest, relax, and chill. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Toast the retiree’s ability to sleep in on Monday.
Happy Retirement Quotes
Are you looking for a happy sentiment to share on a retiree’s Facebook wall or to write on a card? Congratulate the retiree, even if you are jealous of her newfound freedom. Here are some quotes you may consider.
6. “The end of labor is to gain leisure.” — Aristotle
What did Aristotle do for leisure? Share this quote with retirees who are scared of how they will spend their days.
7. “I never did a day’s work in my whole life. It was all fun.” — Thomas Edison
Share this quote with the person who was happy with the years spent on the job.
8. “Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.” — Rumi
Just because your friend or coworker is retiring doesn’t mean that he or she didn’t like the working world. Instead of celebrating the end of a job, your coworker may want to celebrate having a job he loved for years.
9. “Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.” — Fred Rogers
You can always depend on Mr. Rogers to dole out words of wisdom about life. This quote about retirement is especially wise.
10. “Don’t act your age in retirement. Act like the inner young person you have always been.” — J.A. West
Do you know a retiree who is young at heart? This quote will surely make that person smile.
Retirement Quotes for Teachers
Most teachers take great pride in their profession, and it is difficult for many to retire. Here are some quotes that will remind them that they spent their working lives in an honorable way.
11. “Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” — Theodore Roosevelt
Teaching is a hard gig. Sometimes the only satisfaction that comes from the job is knowing that the work you are doing is important. Here’s a quote to illustrate that point.
12. “All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.
Teachers are in the business of uplifting the members of society that need the most care. Share this quote with a retiring teacher who took his or her job seriously over a lengthy career.
13. “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” — Henry Adams
Just change the pronoun when you share this quote with a female teacher.
14. “A good teacher is like a candle — it consumes itself to light the way for others.” — Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
Teachers give a lot of themselves to perform the duties of their profession. Tell them that their self-sacrifice was worth it.
15. “It is the extreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” — Albert Einstein
Did the retiring teacher you’re celebrating awaken joy? Share this quote and thank the teacher for her service.
Retirement Quotes for a Boss
Is your boss retiring? Offer your congratulations by sharing one or more of these quotes about retirement. Some are funny, others are thoughtful. You pick the quote perfect for the situation.
16. “Retirement means no pressure, no stress, no heartache... unless you play golf.” — Gene Perret
This is a fun quote to share with a golf-playing boss who is retiring. Golf is certainly not always a relaxing hobby.
17. “The trouble with retirement is that you never get a day off.” — Abe Lemon
Is your boss the type of person who is worried about what to do during retirement? Here’s a quote to make light of that situation.
18. “You have to put off being young until you retire.” — Unknown
Has your boss gotten a new lease on life now that retirement approaches? Encourage a youthful attitude with this quote.
19. “When a man retires and time is no longer a matter of urgent importance, his colleagues generally present him with a watch.” — R.C. Sherriff
Did your boss receive a gold watch from your company as a retirement gift? The recipient of the present may appreciate this ironic statement.
20. “The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.” — Vince Lombardi
Tell your boss that you know how difficult it may be for him or her to retire. Acknowledge the hard workers in your office with this sentiment.
Retirement Quotes for a Friend
Whether your friend is ready to live the life of a senior citizen or is fighting retirement tooth and nail, here are some quotes about retirement that you can share.
21. “The joy of retirement comes in those everyday pursuits that embrace the joy of life; to experience daily the freedom to invest one’s lifelong knowledge for the betterment of others and to allocate time to pursuits that only received, in years of working, a fleeting moment.” — Byron Pulsifer
This quote is the perfect reminder for a friend who can’t wait to spend retirement volunteering and working to better society.
22. “For many, retirement is a time for personal growth, which becomes the path to greater freedom.” — Robert Delamontagne
Encourage your friend who has noble ideas about retirement. In fact, do what you can to encourage his or her personal growth.
23. “There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.” — Sophia Loren
Some people worry about retiring because this means that they are getting old. Tell your friend that being old is less about age and more about her state of mind.
24. “God’s retirement plan is out of this world.” — Unknown
If your friend enjoys a strong faith, share this thought about retirement.
25. “Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” — J. Lubbock
Isn’t this a great quote about rest? Enjoying nature is never a waste of time.
Final Thoughts
These quotes will help you celebrate the retirement of your friend, family member, teacher, or coworker. You may also do a little more web surfing to find songs about time to share with a person who’s about ready to retire.
Even though none of us like to think about it, we have a limited amount of time on earth. Whether you are retirement age yourself or just getting started in the world of work, you will die someday.
Prepare for this eventuality by doing end-of-life planning. Ensure that your final wishes are completed the way you want them to be done by making the arrangements before they are necessary.
Looking for more creative ways to say goodbye to a retiring coworker? Read our guides on the best retirement songs and the best funny retirement gifts.
Sources
- “30 Retirement Quotes.” Seniorliving. 26 February 2020.
- “Quotes about retirement.” Brainyquote. 26 February 2020.