A sunbird hovered near my window, over the plants that I have on my balcony : a truly beautiful distraction which made me move from my computer and watch it as it hovered from plant to plant. It made my day.

I also had a haircut. There is something about haircuts in my family. It seems to have the immediate effect  of changing my mood and making me look better.

I needed both – the sunbird and the haircut after a bad week. Last week saw the deaths of two of my close relationships: the death of my Aunt at the age of 88 and the death one of closes friends at  78. They both died the way they would have wanted – in their sleep.

But for me it is a reminder that the longer I live the more I am going to see the loss of friends I have spend time with and depended on for my social life and well-being. That is the loneliness of old age.