With great meticulousness and care, he placed his feathered hat, sword, cape, and signature leather boots at the bottom of a newly dug shallow grave. Then, reviewing the heroics of his past eight lives, he crowed, cried, and grudgingly resigned himself to giving up his career. The infamous Puss In Boots was retiring.

Spoiler alert: This describes a profound scene in the recent animated movie Puss In Boots: Last Wish, released by Dreamworks in December 2022. It is noteworthy because it captures how many Boomers feel as they transition into retirement. Many feel they are burying their identity – their essence – their purpose. The future seems uncertain and sometimes unremarkable.
Puss In Boots got one thing right in this burial exercise – he reviewed the events of his life, noting the victories and accomplishments. Contrary to our mortal experience, he had already enjoyed eight lives and was contemplating spending his final one in a safe, uninspiring rest home for cats. The turning point of the movie is when Puss In Boots realizes that he still has one life left (cats supposedly get nine) to pursue his dreams and acquire his last wish.

The story of Puss In Boots: Last Wish holds many lessons for us. Not the least of which is that burying the outer vestments of our job does not take away the essence of who we are. We still have passions, gifts, strengths, and purpose. We still have the opportunity to fully live our one great life. You’ll have to watch the movie to see how Puss In Boots redeems his. We invite you to connect with Re-Ignite or read our book, Third Calling: What are you doing the rest of your life? , to consider yours!

Puss In Boots: The Last Wish
presented by Dreamworks Animation; Distributed by Universal Studios 12/2022
Graphic by Scott Ward, Creative Commons Free PNGing
written by Leona Bergstrom, Re-Ignite