My sister Lourdes retired from her job in Sydney, Australia yesterday, the last day of June. In Australia one can remain employed for as long as one likes--or, should I say, for as long as one can take it?--even if one lives to be a hundred.

I have always advised my sister to retire, though. As long as one has a pension, one should retire either upon reaching the mandatory age or retire as early as possible before that. If retiring from one's job is a form of death, living in retirement after it is a form of heaven.