The rain did not come today.

Grass crunched under my shoes, brown and withered. Gnats flew at my face, trying to drink the moist air from my mouth. The mailbox door creaked open, but nothing was inside.

Sunshine beat down on my shoulders, the air unbelievably thick and oppressive. Breathing would become laborious if I stayed out here too much longer. I headed inside quickly, grateful for air conditioning.

I looked around. The house was empty and clean. Nothing needed dusting, nothing needed mending, or washed, or swept. I did what little there was this morning.

Was this what it was to be retired, old and alone? I had to do something with my time. This was no way to live. I wanted an excuse for the house to be messy, or maybe an excuse for it to look un-lived in. It was high time I got involved in my community and made a difference again!

Using the search engine my grandson showed me, I typed in ‘volunteer opportunities for retirees’ and a world of possibilities lifted my spirits.