Life isn't a dress rehearsal...

An excited work colleague rang me last week.

After genuinely actually talking about work, she then informed me of her news.
"I have got a date...tonight." You could hear in her voice how excited she was. She then proceeded to tell me her details, how they met, what he looked like and where they were meeting.

Nothing so strange in this you would think, however this is her first date in fifteen years. Yes, you read me right...fifteen years. You can't help but be pleased for her too eh?

This lady is kind, warm and giving...how is it that she has not had a date in all this time? She is not unapproachable and she is attractive. It doesn't make sense and I told her this.

"I have had offers," she said. "But I never took them up. I refused to allow anyone else in my life and closed myself off." She continued, "Whilst for a while it was the right thing to do, it became a habit that I couldn't shake off."

This makes sense to me. There is the fear of being rejected again and again, the fear of what if it doesn't work - again, that you naturally start to close off from that type of pain; because as everyone knows, it is one of the most painful experiences that you can have.

We talk about this for a while longer, then she offers me some advice, "Don't close your heart down sweetheart. Life isn't a dress rehearsal you know...you only get one chance at it. Don't make the mistake that I did and waste time thinking that you can't - just do it."

You will be pleased to hear that she sent me a message today - 'date successful, meeting up again on Friday'. I am beyond pleased for her, she is finally experiencing what she has missed out on for so long.

My year of being forty had such expectations and high hopes, and there was a chapter within my year that I was hoping would be far longer than it turned out to be. However, I have been told categorically that the chapter of that book has been closed. That I have to return the whole book back to the library and that by holding onto it I would be in danger of paying some heavy fine.

I would probably keep extending the loan on my book for quite some time, but you know how these librarians can be...they can get very stroppy if you hang onto something that is not yours for too long.

So, at some point I need to heed her word and re-open my heart. To remember that life is not a dress rehearsal and start a new chapter....and at some point I will.

However in the meantime, I will spend some time getting my stage debut costume ready...as it really does need to be special.