Dear Reader,
My love of the UK started seven years ago when I attended a writing conference. Don’t get me wrong, Scotland, London, and all the cities in between are great. But I love this place because of the friends I made.
Over Zoom and Messenger chats, we’ve shared the highs and lows of life after 40.
Grandchildren have joined families. There were a couple of health scares. And we’ve had discussions about important things like—does taking Biotin really reduce hair loss?
Once a year, we try to connect. There were plenty of years when we didn’t make it. However, that just made the years we could so much sweeter.
This was one of those good years.
With our husbands in tow, we went to a Mamma Mia party at a local theater—and let me tell you, it was exactly what our hearts didn’t know they needed.
Picture this: ABBA songs telling the story of forbidden love. Greek food served between scenes.
It started out safe and fun—everyone seated, husbands giving us the amused side-eye as we swayed in our chairs. With each song, the participation was a little more enthusiastic. By the last scene, we had theater full of people of all ages belting out ABBA songs like they were fourteen again.
The encore was interactive. The whole place had turned into a full-on dance party. Even the husbands couldn’t resist. The smiles, the joy, the shared nostalgia… it was magic.
And right in the middle of it all, my friend Marion leaned over and said,
“Sometimes you have to do something to remember you’re alive.”
Eight weeks ago, Marion’s life expectancy had been questionable—her words hit in a way that stayed with me.
Because here’s the thing, embracing life doesn’t require a venue. It’s that space in time when we connect with a version of ourselves that is happy to be wherever we are.
That’s what I hope to capture in every book I write—those moments where we remember how good it feels to be silly, to be known, to be loved.
Whether you’re 22 or 72, best friends and dance parties never go out of style.
This week, I invite you to do something just for fun.
Dance while you wash the dishes. (I do this all the time. Just remember to leave the sponge in the suds. Otherwise, it gets messy.)
Sing into your hairbrush while you get ready.
Text a friend a meme that made you laugh way too hard. (Susan sends all of us no less than three Instagram Reels a day.)
Or celebrate life in a way that is comfortable for you. Because joy is intentional—and sometimes, it only takes one little moment to remind us we’re still right here.
Alive, loved, loving, and ready for whatever life brings our way.
With heart and a twirl,
💛 Merri