For me, the pandemic emphasized life is short, and time is precious. It’s not like I didn’t already know that; it’s just that the pandemic brought my feelings into sharp focus.

I began thinking what I could do within my control at this late stage of my life that could bring me pleasure and satisfaction? I thought of my old friend, the piano.

I say she’s my old friend because I took lessons as a young girl, but lacked discipline, so I didn’t get very far. I did learn the basics, reading notes. So about 12 years ago, I bought a keyboard and resumed playing.

I didn’t know how to approach playing without a teacher, but I thought I should get at that discipline I lacked as a girl. What better way to do that then to limber my fingers playing scales? I did that conscientiously – day in, day out. I played scales before I allowed myself to play my fun rags, blues and jazz. But, by the time I got to the fun stuff, I was played out.

Aha, I thought as I decided to go back to the piano during the pandemic. I’m playing only rags, blues and jazz. I made it fun and I’m having a blast.

I didn’t try a new thing, but I tried an old thing with a new attitude, and it worked. I found others who did similar things.

The Guardian wrote about a woman who quit her administrative job at 65 to follow her dream – running a dream bookshop

Melanie, someone I know from the Older Women’s League, wrote and self-published her memoirs. A friend decided to walk in different San Francisco neighborhoods with “beginner’s eyes” and “act like a tourist” to enjoy the city anew.

Another friend, Duff ,realized his handwriting had gotten sloppy and wanted to regain the beautiful Palmer method writing that his schoolteacher mother had taught him as a boy. “I started copying a page each day in cursive writing for a few weeks,” he said, “and I am nearly back to my old cursive ability.” 

So, big thing, little thing, new attitude, what have you been doing now to enrich your life?