Meet Darlene

 

As young as she may look, Darlene is pushing 55. She takes care of herself, uses only mild soap and water on her face, never over indulges, and leads a contemplative lifestyle. Darlene was my first dollie. I had 2, the other little babe was Airity, and last year I gave her to a little girl who will take good care of her. Darlene’s a lifer though. I suppose as we approach a new year, clearing our closets so to speak, thinking of the old adage “out with the old, in with the new” we might try to understand that the year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on. When I look at Darlene, I am reminded that rather than walking through our houses room by room, drawing up a list of closets to clean, or cracks to be patched, or things to throw out, maybe we ought to simply walk through the rooms of our lives.