By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

By the time this newspaper appears in people’s mailboxes, I will have officially retired as executive editor of The Reporter. My last day was December 25. I still plan to write book reviews (I so overwrote for the last book centerfold that I already have one written for the February issue) and food columns when the inspiration strikes. I am keeping my very part-time chaplaincy work with those with developmental disabilities, work that is dear to my heart for personal reasons. I will also continue to be available as a rabbi on call when needed, something I have been doing since I moved back to this area.
I do have a bucket list: I want to read all the books on my bookcases (note the plural there) that I’ve bought and haven’t had time to read. I decided a good way to start would be to read 30 books in 30 days from January 2-31. To make that more interesting (and keep me on track), I’ve made a bet with a friend: If I read the 30 books, she has to buy me dinner at the restaurant of my choice. If I don’t, then I have to buy her dinner at the restaurant of her choice. She said she fully expects me to complete the task, but we both agree this is a win-win situation: I’m happy to have dinner with her anytime and am willing to pay for the privilege.
I’m also thinking of having a movie afternoon once a week – at least, movies I can watch on my computer with closed captioning. I used to be an avid moviegoer, but, as my hearing declined, it became too difficult. Even before my hearing became as bad as it is now, I realized that I was missing a great deal of the dialogue, which made the films’ plots difficult to follow. The same is true for attending plays and musicals in the theater. I still miss both of those activities, but figure that, at least, I will be able to enjoy some movies in this new format.
There are some serious reasons behind my desire to retire. I’ve never had a great deal of energy and what energy I do have seems to be decreasing each year. This past year has been filled with health issues – fortunately, not life and death ones – but it’s clear I need to reduce the amount of stress in my life. Trying to run a newspaper group that publishes two community newspapers during a time when all newspapers are having financial difficulties has gotten to be too much.
I am looking forward to some things that may seem simple, but which will make life so much easier. For example, I can’t wait to be able to go grocery shopping whenever I want, rather than having to schedule it around work. My back will be grateful when I don’t have to sit at a computer all day. It will be easier to meet with friends who don’t like to drive at night because we’ll be able to meet for lunch. It will be fun to be able to visit friends who don’t live close more often since I won’t have to worry about being out of town when a paper is scheduled to go to the printer. One of those friends has talked about us taking short vacations to places within driving distance that we both want to visit. I’m also looking forward to day trips with a local friend who likes to drive. 
If none of this sounds exciting to you, that’s OK because it does to me. Over the years, I’ve learned to enjoy the small pleasures because often those were the only ones available. Years ago, a friend gave me a poster that said, “Blossom where you are planted.” I’ve tried to do that. I’ve also taken to heart the rabbinic saying, “Who is rich? The one who is content with their lot.” As much as my basic nature tends to focus on the negative, I’ve used those sayings to appreciate what I do have in life, which is far more than many people in the world. I hope those mottos will continue to inspire me as I begin this new phase of my life. 
Addendum: People sometimes act as if I alone magically make The Reporter appear. That is far from true. My wonderful staff over the years have been an enormous help and support. I would like to thank the current Reporter staff – Kathy Brown, Diana Sochor and Julie Weber – for all their hard work and making it far easier to do my job than it would be otherwise. Julie continues to work part-time for us, even though she moved to Massachusetts and has a full-time job. But we never have to worry about her work getting done: she is incredibly organized and does everything on time. Kathy started as our part-time bookkeeper, but pitched in several times when advertising representatives left. Finally, she took over the position – not an easy thing since this meant she was juggling two separate jobs – and managed to do both of them well. Her hard work means that the paper is in better financial shape than it might be otherwise. Diana and I have worked together since I started at the paper as copy editor in 2001. I could not have survived as executive editor without her support and hard work. Her devotion to the paper and to protecting me when I try to take on too much have made my life so much easier and so much more fun, especially since we share the same warped sense of humor. I’ve called her the little sister that I never had and plan to continue to bug her like any good big sister should do, even when I am no longer her boss.