Don’t simply retire from something; have something to retire to.

The quote argues that retirement should not be defined only as escape—escape from stress, obligation, or routine—but as a deliberate transition toward a new center of meaning. Fosdick’s contrast between retiring “from” and retiring “to” reframes retirement as an active, purposive choice: one should cultivate interests, relationships, service, or creative work that can replace the structure and identity previously supplied by a career. Implicitly, it warns that removing duties without establishing new commitments can lead to boredom, loss of self, or spiritual drift. The saying endures because it treats retirement as a question of vocation and character, not merely finances or leisure.