Your retirement party is what you make of it.

We've had friends who celebrated at their official ceremony on base and then wander into the great unknown with nary a toast lifted. We've had friends who threw giant bashes and barbecues to celebrate their final moments of uniformed life. A colonel in my husband's unit recently hosted an entire golf tournament to honor his 25 years of service.

With my husband's retirement arriving a full three years early due to his medical issues, we were not prepared to host either a golf getaway or a simple barbecue.

We were swiftly approaching one of the biggest moments in his career and financially we were not prepared to pass out a single paper horn.

Meanwhile, the expectations of our nearest and dearest began to mount. We were never a family to shy away from hosting giant parties for birthdays, anniversaries or the simple fact that it was Friday. But unfortunately, the fiscal unknowns of life without steady employment and the sheer cost of switching from an active duty lifestyle to that of retirees put a huge stop on our plans.

And as the military lifestyle has taught us, it was time to switch gears, fast.

The red, white and blue adorned buffet I had planned in my head was gone, replaced instead with appetizers and lemonade after his official ceremony.

I squirreled away the pricey gifts I had dreamed of giving him for another day and helped my children paint an American flag with their handprints and inscribe on it the words to My Country Tis of Thee.

Our guest list was whittled down from everyone we knew in a 50-mile radius to just our kids, gathered around a tiki decorated table at a downtown restaurant.

There's no doubt that I felt guilty. After 24 years, 5 combat tours and over 100 airborne jumps, I wanted my hero to have the biggest bash possible. But as we looked out over our table and made a private toast to all that was and all that will be, the moment was fitting and perfect.

Like most moments in life, retirement can sneak up on you. Ready or not, it is here and gone. My husband's retirement celebration may not have been the cornucopia of partying I had envisioned but it was just as memorable.

Here's to the next 24 years. May we be ready for whatever comes our way.