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101 Word Short Stories

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Watercolours

January 6, 2026 7 Comments

By Kerri McCourt

The reusable paint kit promises hours of entertainment, but I worry it’s too simple or childish.

It isn’t. Mom loves it.

She glides a wet paintbrush across a blank sheet of paper and ‘paints.’ Colour begins to appear. Her face lights up.

With an easy stroke of a water-dipped brush, the page transforms.

“It’s like magic,” she says. Sunsets and butterflies materialize as if by sleight of hand.

Afterward, she sets down her completed page.

What once was is no longer.

Vibrancy and liveliness fade.

Mom dips the brush again, to leave her mark, unaware of how much she already has.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Liz says

    January 6, 2026 at 5:49 pm

    <3

    Reply
  2. Sue says

    January 7, 2026 at 9:57 am

    Well written. Carefully crafted.

    Reply
  3. Giulietta Spudich says

    January 7, 2026 at 10:21 am

    This one reached me with its tenderness, the joy an older person can find as they return to a more childlike place, and perhaps forget the world they knew.

    Reply
  4. Patti R. says

    January 7, 2026 at 10:46 am

    Beautifully written snapshot of a tender moment. So much is said here. Really enjoyed this!

    Reply
  5. Bud Pharo says

    January 7, 2026 at 11:58 am

    Poignant, beautiful story!

    Reply
  6. Sharon Murphy says

    January 7, 2026 at 2:54 pm

    Tender and emotional

    Reply
  7. Lynn M. Rice says

    January 16, 2026 at 11:07 pm

    That was a thought-provoking, meaningful conclusion.

    Reply

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