By Mark Reels
I knew my dad had a bad heart, but I never really understood what was wrong with him.
Now I watched a green graph representing his life scroll across a monitor and listened to a doctor explain how my father’s heart had become calcified.
“If you live long enough, it will happen to you too,” the doctor reported. “It’s just old age.”
Dad’s only response was another gasping breath.
At his funeral, I held my daughter’s hand while she traced her soft thumb over the calluses on my palm.
If I can feel that, I am not too far gone. Right?
I could feel it in my heart. Beautiful!
Thank you, ParkChowa
A touching story, Mark. But it’s not just “old age” that leads to calcification in older folks. Diet, smoking and other lifestyle behaviors may play a role as well Jerry
Yeah, you’re right. I twisted biological facts a little bit for the sake of the story!
Nice story Mark. I think we’ve all, at some time or other, encountered that stone-cold unforgiving heart. I don’t think your character has any immediate concerns since your character feels the soft touch of a child’s love.
Thanks b. I was trying to make a contrast between MC’s “hard” relationship with his Dad and the hopefully relationship with his daughter.
So touching Mark 🙂
I almost cried after reading this story about a father not being understood and a son who is afraid he is like him. These lyrics created a new and different version of Harry Chapin’s “Cats in the Cradle.”
Thank you so much, Susan.
Well done. A story that causes an influx of emotion.