By Valli Henry-Boldini
Stop and buy her favourite flowers. Get off the bus outside her house. Stop and notice how much the heather has grown. Ring the bell.
Her neighbour’s son opens the door. “Great to see you. Come see what I’ve done.”
Stop and picture happy times spent in each room. Hold back the tears. Lay the spray of purple freesias on the sill of her favourite window. Stop and breathe in their peaceful fragrance.
“I’m lucky to live in this beautiful house,” he says. “Your mother must have loved it.” Glance back inside.
Don’t stop now. There’s nothing here for you anymore.
I truly love this piece. I love the continued use of the word “stop”. It gives it a rhythm, a beat. We live life in a continuous stream. We remember in snapshots of special moments and details.
And the ending is lovely. The realization that the memories are not really of the flowers or window sill or the rooms. The memory is not of the house at all. The memories are of “her”. And “she” is always with us in memory. This realization allows us to carry the memory with us as fuel to propel ourselves into the future, not as quicksand to trap us in the past.
So beautiful!
Thank you so much Lable…
A beautiful piece scripted by a wonderful woman. I enjoyed reading STOP.
I look forward to more.
Thank you so much Zica…
I loved this. I walked in the author’s shores. The imagery was vivid and the tug on my emotions very real. When someone we love dies – we hope against hope we will see them. That it was just a bad dream. And we seek them in the places they should be. To find there is nothing there for us anymore is shattering.
The author has captured so much in a few short words. This was a great read.
Thank you so much Linda…
It’s never the same when we return to a much loved family home – I could never go inside either my mother’s or my grandparent’s home… much better to keep the memories… Your story was evocative and resonant; the reader could empathise with the story-teller.
Thank you so much AJ for your lovely comment…
I agree with all the other comments – what a lovely story and so full of emotion.
Thank you so much Helen… much appreciated …
The rythm and cycle of life is captured beautifully… We all need to stop and reflect but move on still remembering and embracing the beauty if life. Loved this piece.
Awww bless…thank you so much Gail… much appreciated…
How is it that 101 words or less can take us on a journey? Each paragraph had me STOP and envision points along the way. The ending was not what I was expecting at the start of the journey. Beautifully written, emotive, evocative.
Thank you so much Cynthia… much appreciated…
This is a beautiful story, really well written and poignant. Well done.
Thank you so much Andreas… Much appreciated…
YHou can’t go home again to so many places in our lives. Poignant and powerful.
Thank you so much Alex for your kind comment…
Beautiful. And moving. And true.
Thank you so much Haroon… your comment was much appreciated…