I have been blessed to welcome a new grand-daughter into the world. Joyous, indeed. Last week saw us on ambulance call for a particularly sad accident and death. Tragic and someone we knew well, and some of the family are close friends. I had kept it together pretty well, thinking of my new grand-child – but as part of the funeral they had wedding pictures. Looking at the pictures of the couple (many years back) really got to me. It left me emotionally drained and I am not even part of the family.

I suppose the reason was understanding and recreating what I would feel like if that was me. Empathy is a basic requirement of even a moderate writer-hack like myself. Unfortunately, it has left me feeling really burned out this evening and without very much to say. I keep going to my pictures of the grand-kids and thinking how I must write some books they too may enjoy and draw comfort from. It’s one of the things that keeps me going after some of the tougher experiences… that I can escape into a book full of hope and a bit of laughter. Maybe with a wedding at the end because I am big soppy sook, really.

Maybe writers of mere escapism do more than we appreciate, until we need them.