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Wishful Thinking

June 15, 2024 15 Comments

By Deborah Sale-Butler

I wish that after months of planning and a five-hour flight from Los Angeles to Florida to eat lovely meals together at your favorite restaurant and look through the photo albums I sent you for your birthday and Christmas because you forgot the password to your computer and lost your cell phone (which I think you threw away in frustration when the numbers confused you), I wish I could give you a hug and say how great it was to see you then return to Los Angeles and not get a call from you asking if I plan to visit soon.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. L. J. Caporusso says

    June 15, 2024 at 10:04 am

    Incredibly evocative. Well done, Deborah!

    Reply
    • Deborah Sale-Butler says

      June 15, 2024 at 10:35 am

      Thank you. I’m glad it touched you.

      Reply
  2. Ed Kratz says

    June 15, 2024 at 10:35 am

    A full, sad, story.
    Well done.

    Reply
    • Deborah Sale-Butler says

      June 15, 2024 at 10:36 am

      Thank you, Ed.

      Reply
  3. Genevieve Goggin says

    June 15, 2024 at 1:45 pm

    Very relatable. Way to go!

    Reply
  4. Ann M. Alves says

    June 15, 2024 at 1:47 pm

    Poignant. Well written!

    Reply
  5. Kim Moes says

    June 15, 2024 at 5:05 pm

    Wonderfully sad and brilliant at the same time.

    Reply
  6. Devayani Anvekar says

    June 18, 2024 at 9:30 am

    Cute.. moving story..??it. ?

    Reply
    • Nina Miller says

      June 23, 2024 at 7:04 am

      You really captured the love and pain of this experience. Well done!

      Reply
  7. Devayani Anvekar says

    June 18, 2024 at 9:36 am

    Cute.. Moving.. Loved it.

    Reply
  8. David Higham says

    June 19, 2024 at 10:57 am

    Heart-rending but so beautifully crafted.

    Reply
  9. Ben D. Shiriak says

    June 19, 2024 at 1:09 pm

    excellent…hits home….

    Reply
  10. W. Peter Collins says

    June 19, 2024 at 5:47 pm

    Congratulations on the story, short and sweet and sour and sad and must be family. Well done.

    Reply
  11. Gretchen says

    June 21, 2024 at 10:05 am

    Lots of heart. This piece is so easy to love.

    Reply
  12. RC says

    June 24, 2024 at 8:21 pm

    <3

    Reply

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