One thing I’ve learned . . .
. . .is not to wait to be invited out for a coffee or a tea. It’s no good fretting that I haven’t heard from an old friend. Now in my nineties I am conscious of the fact that every year someone I used have regular contact with is not responding to phone calls or e-mails. It’s counterproductive to worry about what you may have said to upset them. That’s probably not what’s happened. They’re not cutting you out of their life because you failed to ask after their latest grandchild or the long-lived and terrifying cat. But they’re getting on, and the days slip by . . .
It’s age, dear. And general slowing down. And maybe some aches and pains. And a disinclination to tackle the bus service. And the need for a little rest after lunch.
So the thing I’ve learned is not to wait till I’m asked, but to ask my old friend if he or she would like to join me for a cuppa up at the nearby shops. Generally speaking, we can all manage that, if we combine it with a spot of shopping. We have an enjoyable outing, and it doesn’t require tidying up at home and getting supplies of biscuits, etc., in for the delectation of one’s guest. And, we should quietly sorrow and perhaps say a prayer for those who have passed out of our lives.
It’s supposed to prolong your life to go on working long after everyone else has taken to afternoon television. So what am I working on now? Well, the long-distance project is the next book for Severn House. This is the Romance Scam plot with a side order of Diana Behaving Badly (again!) That’s coming along nicely. I have asked for a longer delivery time just in case I need it, but at the moment the two plots are banging around in my head, each one asking for my attention.
The next short story . . .
. . . was commissioned by the Methodist Recorder and it’s called The DoGooder. (Or maybe it’s The DoGoods. I’m leaving a decision on that to the editor.) It came out in their March 27th issue and it’s about an over-sweet influencer urging us all to do a good deed for the day. What she says and what she does may be two different things, and let’s face it, most of us do something for other people every day, without chalking up a tally. You can read it here.
Then I’m working on another story, about an Outside Cat, but that will be for next month’s newsletter.
A blessing on those who keep up with old friends despite our age and fragility.
Veronica Heley