RHYS BOWEN
Last summer the whole family was together for the first time in ages for a blissful week on the beach. On the last day we sat around the big table making vision boards. It’s something I’ve never done before: I’ve never been good at journal keeping, expressing my feelings on paper (when it’s not one of my characters in fiction). I’ve always hated the sort of small group exercises where you are supposed to share feelings and experiences. I suppose I’m essentially a private person and perhaps I don’t want to confront my feelings or reveal my inner self to the world.
So the vision board was a big shock to me, because I actually enjoyed it. It was fun sifting through hundreds of glossy magazines, finding that perfect picture—one that spoke to me, resonated with what I wanted for myself. The results for the whole family were stunning. (I should add that while the two male grandchildren worked with us, none of the adult males participated. It’s just not a guy thing, I guess.
I know that my son and daughter-in-law do this every year on New Year’s Day, setting up their plans, hopes and dreams for the new year. I have always done something similar in a notebook that I keep. Each year I write the year-plan: what I am going to write, where I hope to travel. Resolutions of a sort: this year was STAY HEALTHY, STOP WORRYING at the top of the list. Each year I go through last year’s plan and resolutions and see what worked and what didn’t. For 2020 there was an awful lot of stuff crossed out. Cruise to Caribbean? No. House in Torquay, Devonshire for the whole family. No. Channel Islands? No. Conventions? No. Then last year was pretty much a repeat. No travel, except for that one perfect week.
So this year I was hesitant to put down any plans. We’ve already cancelled the cruise set for February. I’m still hoping to go to England in September, but we’ll play it by ear. And I’m really keeping my fingers crossed for Malice Domestic and the Edgars. I’m guest-of-honor at one and nominated at the other. How often does that happen? So please, no new theta, phi and omega strains!
Ironically all my writing has gone so smoothly, with few interruptions. Sales have been brilliant. I won the Agatha last year. Edgar nom this year—so no complaints on that score. But while those successes are great, they are not the things that matter. I miss my friends, my family, my social life of pre-pandemic. A big group sitting around the table, laughing and eating. We did manage this at Christmas but that was before omicron. Since then four family members have had Covid. So have multiple friends. So it’s back to hibernation mode.
One thing this pandemic has done is to make us realize what is important in life. How many times have I had my nails done (zero). How much new make-up have I bought? Not much. Am I sad about that? No. So it's the relationships, the friendships, the human interactions that I miss terribly. Nothing else really matters.
How about you? Do you make vision boards? Year plans? Resolutions? Are you daring to make plans for this year? Have you come to any realizations during the pandemic?
