I have a sun dial in my flower garden. On it is an inscription from a poem by Robert Browning, “Grow Old Along With Me; The Best Is Yet To Be.” I’ve always liked that line. I suppose Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning had a wonderful marriage and did grow old together.
Some of us are blessed to have a mate make life’s journey with us; some of us are not. If I dared, I might change Mr. Browning’s quote just a bit and “old” would become “older”. Everyone grows older each day she lives but if we keep our minds and spirits young, we don’t have to grow “old”. Whether we grow older alone or together, faith in the Lord is a great comfort.
I think there’s something about the human spirit that desires companionship. It’s nice to have shared experiences or interests, to have someone to talk things over with at the end of the day.
Those of us who enjoy reading fiction (and poetry) like a story with a satisfying ending. And some of us like a story with a satisfying ending that has a bit of romance thrown in–even in cozy mysteries–or, maybe, especially in cozy mysteries. In the Darcy and Flora, mother/daughter sleuth series, Darcy’s heartstrings vibrate with the appearance of slim, handsome Ventris County Sheriff Grant Hendley. Flora, although she’s quite a bit farther down the road in the “growing older” journey, finds there’s something really wonderful about Levi’s lawyer Jackson Conner.
Cozy mysteries appeal to readers for many different reasons. One of those reasons is that we like to feel a kinship with the characters. They grow older; some people stay in their lives, others don’t. There’s a continuity about a series that invites us into the family we find between the pages of a book.
Ned and Cade have found each other again, after years of living other lives, and their different experiences cause them to appreciate each other more. As each story ends, the reader has the feeling that “the best is yet to be.” I hope it is true for you too.
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