Lighthouse Nuns With No Cow

Dear John,

 

I've been thinking about lighthouses this week. We used to wish we could be lighthouse keepers. And you would hear about keepers' widows who stayed on and kept the lighthouse by themselves, and said that I would be like that. And, of course, you were right.

 

I posted this picture on Facebook Tuesday night, and said that I wanted to run away and live in this lighthouse. Becky asked if she could join me, and I gave an enthusiastic yes - after all, we lived together for a year of college and enjoyed it very much. Michael said there'd be no room to exercise - trust a cyclist to see that - and I reminded him of the need to carry oil up the tower every four hours and swim to get the mail. Becky said we'd need to row for groceries. I think we could manage a garden, but I'm not so sure about the chickens and the cow.

 

But Sarah had the best idea - she said we could put a cross on top and make it a skete. What a wonderful thought! Since Becky and I said we could go for taking a vow of celibacy, I think we have a plan. (You might want to give Kyle a heads-up.) Donna wants to visit. It seems that we have the makings of a small monastery. At least, we do in our minds.

 

I'm such a hermit. And so many of my friends are, too, which is probably not surprising. We're not antisocial. We're just introverts. And introverts are drained by interaction and energized by solitude. Since everybody gets more introverted with age, I should be curled up in a ball in a corner by the time I'm 90. I do hope I don't have to be 90. At least, not without you. At 90, I would have been a widow for as many years as I'd been a wife. As the meme says, ain't nobody got time for that!

 

That's really all for today. I've just been thinking about lighthouses - all the ones we climbed, and all the times we wished we could live in one. When Becky and I get our lighthouse, you and Kyle will have to come join us!

 

Love you and only you,

Joan.