By Felicity Green

Special to the Weekly

I am 81 years old and one day I realized that I missed having a little girl in my life, with that wonderful innocent youthful energy. My grandchildren are gone and do not live on the island.

Thinking about this I decided I could become proactive. There is a little girl of about 7 who has always greeted me with sweet enthusiasm, running up to give me a hug.

So I phoned her mother and asked if Alix would like to visit me. She said, “Let’s ask Alix,” who said yes.

So at the appointed time she appeared at my door. Little round cheeks and shiny brown hair. This was just before Christmas and I was making bead bracelets for my gifts. She looked around my house and said, “Hmm I don’t think I have ever seen feathers in a vase in any other house.” I had peacock feathers in a vase to show off their beauty.

She joined me and picked out her beads and made three bracelets for friends. Then we had an English tea party with milk and sugar and cookies. The thing she was most fascinated with were the porcelain cups and saucers and the tiny little teaspoons.

When it was time to go home, she politely said, “Thank you. When I came I thought you were just an old lady.”

Another day she asked if next time we could cook something out of the Felicity American Dolls Cookbook. Five days before, she phoned to check that I had all the right ingredients which were whipping cream, an orange, a lemon, raspberries and a fizzy drink like Kombucha. It was mostly whipped cream with a little of the other ingredients. We had a small amount to have with our tea and then she said, “Do you mind if I don’t finish it? I have a delicate stomach and if I eat too much rich food, I throw up.” Very wise at 7.”

We have been to the beach and picked up agates. We have read books, played cards, written stories and painted; but the tea is usually the highlight. She is very careful with the cups and chooses different ones each time for us to use.

It gives me the opportunity to play each week, something we forget at my age.

I find she is a charming, intelligent, wise little girl and I advise any other older person who feels lonely to get a shot of youthful energy and enter into it frequently.

Her latest was to announce she was all “plumbed” out. When I asked her what she meant she sad they had a large bowl of yellow plums and one of red plums. She was just “plummed” out.