I have empathized with Brett Favre's agony in the dilemma of retirement. It is not an easy adjustment for we mortals. It is especially tough for sports heroes.

Many athletes have the grace to bow out at the right time, but some reveal all the emotions of idolized human beings. Who can forget Michael Jordan, having reached the pinnacle of basketball, he turned to baseball, then back to basketball again.

In some ways it was insightful. Who wants to think their skills, energy or drive have changed? Who wants to tell themselves that they are not the same person they used to be? Retiring is hard for idolized sports celebrities.

Favre's odyssey was almost pathetic. In March, he held a teary press conference to announce his retirement from the Green Bay Packers. After a near win in the NFC title game against the New York Giants he knew he had peaked at age 38 and wanted to move on.

In July, he asked to return. This time, the Packer management wanted to move on and were grooming a new quarterback. An impasse of his role with the team led to a trade to the New York Jets.

Surely pride has much to do with these and other super-athletes. Roger Clemens comes to mind. Clemens retired in 2003, unretired in 2004, retired again in 2006, unretired again in 2006, then retired again in 2007. He did receive his 7th Cy Young pitching award. In the meantime there were steroid allegations and injuries. Like Favre, at 38 he seemed to have lost the edge.

The Olympics will feature several athletes who continue long after their prime. At age 41, Dana Torres will compete in her fifth Olympics in swimming. We wish her well.

Retiring gracefully is difficult. A new vocation is a possible solution. At 92, movie star Kirk Douglas has had an envious career. "The greatest dividend to old age is the discovery of the true meaning of love," he writes in Newsweek. Along with positive good humor, comes loss of friends, and depression sometimes sets in. "The antidote is thinking of others and trying to help them," says Douglas.

Clergymen who retire from the preaching ministry can still minister. In my case, the writing ministry offered by this column has now produced 412 columns in 18 years.

Favre, Clemens, and Jordan could learn something from Douglas and join the AARP. We all have to face retirement some day.

Amen until next Wednesday -- I hope.

The opinions in this column are solely those of the writer. Wolf is a retired minister and lives in Valparaiso. Write to him c/o The Times, 1111 Glendale Blvd., Valparaiso, IN