“The harvest of old age is the recollection and abundance of blessing previously secured.” Marcus Tullius Cicero
When an athlete retires they rarely remember the intense training sessions pushing them to the edge and beyond, even if those red-lining sessions were what opened the door for the championships and accolades. It is the results not the process that they bask or wallow in, not the mindset and activities that led to those outcomes.
We do not really recall the long hours of study as they all blend together decades later, but the degree hangs on the wall for all to see, and the wisdom attained that was used to build the life and home. The fruits of the labors surround the aged, be it grandchildren or other comforts in the autumn.
The struggle of the early days breaking the ground is difficult and tedious but required for the later successful harvests that all can witness, and the greater the work early the more bountiful the rewards later.
You will not remember the long dark days as more than a shadowy memory, but the victories will lighten your heart and hearth. Work hard then rest well amongst the memories and mementos of the life well lived.