Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

I had an hour long phone conversation with my ex-son-in-law's mother, who lives on the opposite coast. We are quite fond of each other, and talk every few weeks. She's ten years older than I, but we have a lot in common. We both had four kids, we both have one grandaughter ( the same individual), we both love Louise Penny, and are voracious readers. She was telling me about a TV interview she saw with Penny and Hilary Clinton, about their new book together. She said it sounds fascinating. We discussed Goldfinches, who are dying from a bacterial infection, then birds in general and how electric lights at night are disorienting millions of birds in their migrations, then, of course, our mutual 13 year old granddaughter, and the weather - she has a lot of it, we have none. I heard the story of her oldest son, who lived in Southern California, until an earthquake destroyed his house and caused him to relocate to Pennsylvania. I described the three fires we had to evacute for, none of which destroyed our house. We worried over the Sequioas burned and in danger as we speak. We laugh a lot, and she is my ideal of one of Jane Austen's "amiable" characters. The divorce of our kids has only strengthened our bonds, and I can count on her support whenever I call. It's a special relationship.