Win Cash Prizes & Get Professional Feedback @ Flash Fiction Magazine
Learn More
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

101 Words

101 Word Short Stories

  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Volunteer

Her Mother’s Face

August 11, 2023 16 Comments

By Peggy Gerber

Ruthie peered into her mother’s face as a lump formed in her throat. When did this happen to her? Deep wrinkles were etched into her once beautiful countenance and a turkey wattle jiggled like Jell-O with every shake of her head.

What is this life, Ruthie pondered, where people are forced to exchange beauty for decrepitness and vitality for aches and pains? Why does this have to happen?

“It’s not fair!” she bellowed aloud. She ripped the antique frame off the wall and tossed it across the room, shrinking back at the sound of the shattering glass.

“Who needs mirrors anyway?”

Share this:

  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads
  • Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky
  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
  • Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon
  • Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window) Nextdoor
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

The Power of Imagery with Nina Schuyler

September 12 & 13 on Zoom
Enrollment closes Thursday, September 3 at 7:00 PM Pacific

If your descriptions are vivid but your stories still feel thin, this workshop is for you.

Join award-winning author Nina Schuyler to learn the difference between description, which tells a reader what things look like, and imagery, which carries plot, character, and meaning at the same time.

In just two days, you'll learn to choose images that hold emotion without naming it, pair them so each one deepens the other, and build patterns that gather meaning as the story moves.

Learn More and Enroll

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nicki Nance says

    August 11, 2023 at 7:52 am

    More than relatable!

    Reply
  2. Michelle Mellon says

    August 11, 2023 at 10:33 am

    Oh, feeling this. Well done!

    Reply
  3. Johnette D Loefgren says

    August 11, 2023 at 10:55 am

    great twist at the end, I love it and it hits home.

    Reply
  4. Patricia Stott-Prince says

    August 11, 2023 at 11:16 am

    mirror mirror on the wall…I’ve become my mother after all!!!!

    Reply
  5. Jeri Kadison says

    August 11, 2023 at 5:18 pm

    Such courage to write on aging & express these thoughts with such meaningful words -kudos

    Reply
  6. Marie Johnson Ladson says

    August 11, 2023 at 6:51 pm

    Maybe it’s best to off of memories when we were young instead of the reality when looking in a mirror. Great story!

    Reply
  7. Tom says

    August 11, 2023 at 8:28 pm

    Lovely story, Peggy. I’ve found that cataracts disguisethe wrinkles!

    Reply
  8. HelenZ says

    August 16, 2023 at 8:03 am

    well written – loved the last line

    Reply
  9. Dee Lorraine says

    August 16, 2023 at 8:33 am

    I love the sentiment and the twist!

    Reply
  10. Loré McLaren says

    August 16, 2023 at 10:03 am

    Ha! A truth I live everyday – well, except for the smashed mirror part, that is. Well done!

    Reply
  11. Toni Brayer says

    August 16, 2023 at 11:50 am

    Fantastic. Well written and true

    Reply
  12. Bud says

    August 16, 2023 at 4:37 pm

    Great story. Loved the ending.

    Reply
  13. Ekta R. Garg says

    August 17, 2023 at 11:30 am

    Great twist at the end!

    Reply
  14. Marie says

    August 17, 2023 at 4:30 pm

    Loved it!

    Reply
  15. Sandra L. Todd says

    August 20, 2023 at 9:04 pm

    Oh, yes Peggy. Been there. Thank you!

    Reply
  16. Pamela Cartlidge says

    September 1, 2023 at 5:53 am

    A great understanding of old age. I just wish I could turn back the years so that I could have been more understanding of those aches and pains that my mother and older sisters endured! I’m experiencing them myself now!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.