While I was walking, a car slowed down, and a white-haired woman said, “It’s so good to see you back!”

I knew exactly what she meant. When an old person disappears for a while, others wonder what happened. Did she break her hip? Is she in the hospital? Is she dead??

This lovely lady phrased it exactly right, with a positive spin. I quickly explained that I’d had surgery on my face and could not be in the sun for a while. She had wondered where I was and was glad I was walking again. In our understated way, we were celebrating the resumption of a normal life after a medical pause.