“Hi guys,” I say to my stuffed animals each morning—one elephant and one bear. “I’m up.”

They look back wide-eyed, their floppy selves eager to fill the void that sometimes threatens to swallow me whole. They require so little yet offer so freely the healing balm of their silence.

A prolific writer, Carol Reeves is loving the freedom and challenges of 50 word stories. Her memoir, “All the Little Miracles,” was published last year. Her stories often reflect the privilege and vicissitudes of aging.