🟫 Seasoned SoulZ: When Working Past 65 Isn’t a Choice — It’s Survival

Simply Flava | By Lady Flava

There comes a point in life where you start noticing something our parents didn’t face the same way we do:

many of us will be working long past 65.

Not because we didn’t work hard.

Not because we weren’t responsible.

Not because we didn’t deserve a softer landing.

But because life shifted beneath our feet — quietly, slowly, and without asking permission.

I meet people every day who should be resting… but they’re still clocking in.

People older than my father was when he retired comfortably at 65.

People whose bodies are worn down, limping, hurting, but still showing up because they have no choice.

Working past 65 isn’t inspirational.

It’s survival.

And that survival comes with a silent weight.

The Reality Nobody Talks About

We grew up believing that if we worked hard, retirement would meet us at the finish line.

But what we actually got was a world where:

Pensions disappeared Savings were used for survival Housing became unreachable Healthcare became a luxury And one setback changed everything

The generation before us had something we don’t:

stability as a birthright.

We’re out here trying to stitch together security piece by piece, hoping it holds.

There is nothing “beginner” about the work many of us do, yet the system treats us like disposable labor. And when life hits, when marriage ends, when illness strikes, when inflation climbs — retirement becomes a dream, not a destination.

When the Retirement Age Moved to 67

Let’s call it what it is:

the retirement age rising from 65 to 67 didn’t help anyone but the government.

Two extra years may sound small on paper, but when your body is tired, your back aches, and the world keeps getting heavier?

Those two years feel like ten.

And the worst part?

They moved the finish line, but they didn’t move the support.

Our generation didn’t get the tools our parents had:

No guaranteed pensions No affordable homes No stable cost of living No long-term job security No healthcare that doesn’t drain your account

We’re aging in a world that asks more from us and gives less in return.

This Isn’t Failure — It’s the System

There is no shame in still working past 65.

No shame in needing to keep going.

No shame in doing what you must to survive.

You aren’t behind.

You aren’t less-than.

You aren’t a failure.

You’re living in a world where the rules changed mid-game.

And Still… There’s Strength in You

Even in the exhaustion, even in the uncertainty, even in the fear —

there’s a strength in people who are still here, still showing up, still fighting.

But dreaming of a softer life?

A life where your body can rest and your spirit can breathe?

That’s not unrealistic.

That’s necessary.

You deserve a chapter where the weight lifts.

Where peace finally takes a seat at your table.

Where security isn’t a fantasy — it’s your reality.

And maybe, just maybe…

you’re not as far from that chapter as you think.