“It’s selfish, partially,” Pearl Teller admits when asked why she and her husband Marty have been volunteering at Parker for the past few years. “It enhances us. Helping others gives us the opportunity for new experiences.”

Community stewardship has guided much of the Tellers’ emotional, professional, and even romantic, lives. As a growing professional Marty had memberships with the Middlesex County Junior Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis Club, and a now-defunct local chapter of Knights of Pythias. Pearl, on the other hand, volunteered at her local nursing home and then local library as a teenager. While she was volunteering at the library, Marty asked her out on a date, and they never looked back.

Marty had a career in the tax field and distinguished himself by being a member of the Tax Executive Institute and the other previously-mentioned organizations. After a career in computers at Johnson & Johnson and teaching high school mathematics, Pearl made the decision to take on volunteering at the ESL Services of Middlesex County Literacy Volunteers. Only a year later, she embraced a full-time role as director.

Marty dedicated himself to the ESL Services of Middlesex County Literacy Volunteers as well, and is quick to share a story of one couple that he worked with: “[They] did not pass the citizenship test three times, due to problems with language…I worked with them for close to a year, and when they went back to take the test, they passed.” He says this proudly, knowing that he made a positive impact.

Their ‘selfish’ philosophy towards volunteerism stayed with them as they headed towards retirement. At the time, Marty was recovering from bypass surgery and was overweight. They signed up for gym memberships and began volunteering at the long-term care residences.

After such illustrious volunteering and philanthropic careers, what advice do Marty and Pearl have for people considering retirement?

“As you get older, your focus shouldn’t be narrow,” Pearl said. “You should be aware of the changes in the world around you as well as your own past, because they interact.”

“When I was young, I thought people in their 70s and 80s were isolated and had nothing to live for,” Marty explains. “”I thought, someday, will that be me?’–it scare me. I’ve reached 70 and I don’t have that feeling at all. I credit that on the ability to work in service organizations. Just because you’re 70 or 80 doesn’t mean you can’t stay busy and give back to society.”

This doesn’t mean their journey has gone off “without a hitch”. One of the more difficult aspects of aging, as described by Marty, is keeping up with physical tasks that were once easy.

“It’s getting harder and harder to maintain our home and there are things that we just can’t do physically around the home anymore. So instead of just saying, ‘Damn it’, we’re saying ‘Well maybe it’s time to move onto something else. Maybe we should be in an apartment.’ We’re doing it in a positive way, not a negative way.”

Their realism and honesty in the face of challenges reminds us of the old adage from the philosopher Epictetus: “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” Pearl has fears of her own but realizes that their happiness comes from a change in perception rather than a change in circumstance.

Marty and Pearl serve, not only as stewards of their community but also of each other’s happiness and health. Pearl’s optimism is clearly visible when she earnestly shares, “Having reached an age myself, I can tell you if I don’t look in the mirror, I think of myself as being in my 30s. I really believe that as long as you’re learning, you’re not getting old.”