Taking a Risk

In Kent Haruf’s last novel, Our Souls at Night (NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2015) Addie Moore called on her neighbor Lewis Waters and says, “I wonder if you would consider coming to my house to sleep with me.” When Lewis asks what she means, she says, “I’m lonely. I think you might be also.”

Addie has thought about it, decided to take a risk and asks Lewis (using her voice) if he would do that. Getting what we want often means taking a risk and acting on it. It doesn’t mean we always get what we want, but if we don’t ask or act, it’s certain that nothing will happen.

The story is worth reading to see what happens between them – and how it plays out – which is another issue when children and grandchildren get involved when we are older.

The story is bittersweet, involving advanced age and the emergence of hope.

Haruf died at 72 in 2014 – so he was writing from the perspective of age and the ending of life.

Perhaps the awareness of the ending of life makes it possible to take a risk – but we do not know how long our life will last. We need to make the most of the time we have – to make our lives worthwhile.