As we go through life, many of us think that certain phases or situations will never apply to us. For example, when we are young, we are convinced we will never be old like our parents or grandparents. But life is a series of stages with beginnings, middles and ends.

For me, one of those milestone end points will occur on the last day of this month when I retire as a licensed practicing psychologist; this leads me to reflect on my past work and future retirement.

Most of us are familiar with the concept of retirement. If you have not yet retired, you have friends and family who have reached this point. To some, retirement is a long-sought goal and reward for years of hard work, while others view it as a loss.

In any case, it is a change in familiar day-to-day activities, which I see as time in life analogous to completion of school or college, marriage or divorce, parenthood or empty nesting and a job or career change. When one door of life closes, another opens.

I have been fortunate to be able to ease into retirement during the past few years, first by working four days a week and then gradually tapering off from what, once upon a time, was a 60-hour work week. Not every one who truly enjoys their work is fortunate to be able to take this path, but if you have the opportunity, I definitely recommend it.

Recently, I have been offered much advice on retirement. Two diametrically opposing opinions have emerged. One is that a person should never retire, because then you lose your identity and lack purpose. The other viewpoint says don't wait too long; retire the moment you qualify for Medicare and Social Security.

Neither approach seems right. People should retire when they are ready. That is likely to depend on a variety of factors, including interests, health, financial stability and enjoyment of the job. Some people count the days until they can say good-bye to their boss and daily work routine. Others are never really ready to call it quits. My father "failed" retirement at ages 66 and 80 and only retired at age 90 due to vision problems.

Looking back on my three decades as a licensed psychologist and as a co-founder of (APT) Affiliates in Psychology and Therapy, Inc. in 1985 with Natalie Schneiderman, I am gratified that over the years our psychology practice grew and employed many well-qualified psychologists and therapists. Today, the practice, still known as APT (now Associates in Psychology and Therapy, Inc.) continues with new leadership and a staff of 10.

While I'll admit I will never yearn to get up early on freezing cold dark winter mornings, I will miss some things about my psychology career. I will miss my co-workers with whom I have shared professional ties and life milestones, and I'll miss interacting with many of my clients with whom I worked to help ameliorate their problems.

The most frequent question I've encountered this past year is, "What will you do now?" The one thing I know, and most retirees would agree, is that a person must never retire from life and learning. I'll try some new activities and continue to pursue those things I enjoy. That means I will still write columns for The Herald-Dispatch, but starting July 1, I will adapt to my new status as a retired psychologist.

Diane W. Mufson is a licensed psychologist. She is a former citizen member of The Herald-Dispatch editorial board and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page. Her email is dwmufson@comcast.net.