Retirement messages about the actual work
Most retirement messages are about the future: the travel, the garden, the lie-ins. The ones people keep are about the past — the specific thing they did that nobody else could.
Put one on a bouquetTap any line to copy it, then change one detail so it sounds like you.
For a colleague
For a manager you respected
For a friend or family member
If they are retiring reluctantly
How to make it yours
- Name the specific thing they were known for, not the job title.
- Skip the travel and golf jokes unless you know them well enough to land it.
- If they were pushed out, do not write as though it were a celebration.
- If they trained you, say so plainly. That is the sentence they will keep.
Sending this for a particular moment?
Read flowers for a last day of work →Common questions
What do you write in a retirement card?
One specific thing they did, and one sentence about what it meant to you. The rest is decoration.
Should I mention the future plans?
Only if they raised them. “Hope you enjoy the garden” assumes they have one.
What if I am glad they are leaving?
Say nothing. The card is not the place, and it will be read by other people.
More messages
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Now send it with flowers
Pick a few flowers, write the note you actually mean, and send the link. Free, no account, nothing to install.
Create your bouquet