The Pits and Pieces

  As the year comes to a close, we undoubtedly find ourselves sorting and sifting through the events of the past twelve months. What worked, what didn’t? What brought us joy, sadness, laughter, happiness? What do we want to take with us into the new year and what do we want to leave behind? Sometimes what we want to take with us or leave behind . . . are people. In my last online writing zoom group, we were reading our pieces and discussing friendships. I have a few that go back over 50 years. That is quite something and to be treasured. Women’s friendships are precious, especially as we get older, and, as I wrote for my group: “Society puts a lot of emphasis on romantic relationships and family ties, and much less on the friendships between women, often reducing them to girls’ nights out. But it is these friendships that quietly sustain and nourish us, humming along as a connecting thread in our lives, and we do ourselves a disservice if we don’t see them as a vital part of our ...

  Yes, I’ve been painting again, because I’m at a stage in my life when I can happily ignore chores and the approaching festive season and indulge myself in what I want to do. I wanted to paint, and so I did.  I marvel at how much less ‘guilt’ I feel now when I ignore the ‘shoulds’. And I think yes, it’s partly because of the age and stage of life I’m in, and the realization that I know myself so much better now and can acknowledge that I’ve never been really good at any of the traditional domestic-related tasks and I’m okay with that. It’s not who I am. I’ve worked for many (many!) years, pay my taxes, raised my child, try to be a good citizen, and now I find I want to spend my time writing, creating art, playing, connecting with people who inspire and ignite my curiosity, and ... keep on learning. I’ve signed up for a series of watercolour painting classes next month. One might think – you really should first try and master acrylic painting, but, no, why wait until I ‘mast...