What a beautiful gift this is, Mary! The frank and accurate introspection is what got me, here: "I cried to think she’d gone out and bought the ingredients for those dishes in anticipation of our visit," and here: "Knowing she spent time thinking of what I might like, thinking of me as she walked alone in the cold to the store, fills me with all the love any mother could give a child." Congratulations, and happy holidays to you.
You got the exact feeling that I hoped to express here! There's something about the smallest gifts, like taking a walk in the cold and thinking of us, or buying a meal we loved so long ago, that mean so much to me. Thank you for writing such sweet words and thank you for getting what I so badly wanted to say! ❤️🩹🙏🥹
There is such tender love amid the sadness in this story. It only proves that despite the darkness sometimes caused by our human weaknesses, the spark of love is still able to shine through. Thank you for sharing your Mom's story.
Thank you!! I'm very moved by your kind words. I love what you say about love shining through despite the darkness we sometimes have to go through. ❤️🙏❤️
Thanks Lisa! This was my very first time attempting to write for publication. It was painful but also very healing for me. I hope my mom is proud today, wherever she is! 🥹❤️🩹🙏
Mary, thank you so much for sharing your mother and yourself with us. I feel the love you have for her, and I feel the work you have done to have forgiveness and compassion for your beautiful mother. I appreciate your honesty and courage.
Thank you!! It means so much to me to hear that. I was afraid to do this, but I'm happy to be able to honor my mom, who died before I could really tell her how much I loved her. ❤️🙏💕
Thank you Celia! I've never written anything that I believed others might want to read, but I'm especially proud to see that you used those words to describe my first story! (Rare! How nice it is to hear that!) 🥲
What a heartfelt tribute to a Mom, who from your description, had to be difficult to love and understand. I didn't have that history with my Mom but she was not the most demonstrative with her love. I have some things of hers that I treasure and find myself talking to her when I hold them. Thank you for sharing your memory with all of us.
I love this piece. It is very poignant. I'm thrilled that my student Mary got it published here and worked with a great editor. So glad I told my memoir class about The Keepthings.
What a perfect story for December during the holiday season, when we are all receiving and sending Christmas cards and thinking of the perfect gift for our loved ones and friends. This is a great reminder that a simple gift is sometimes the best present.
Some defeats in her life, but her victories were huge.... what she overcame to be a grandmother after a very hard time as a mother.... your appreciation of her fills these words.
Thank you! You're so right about how my mom was able to be a good grandma to our two boys, especially when they were very young. I was amazed & very happy to see how gentle & attentive & competent she was with them. (They were born 13 months apart! ) It brought me so much joy to watch her care for them. We found the empty bottles in a trash can behind the house after she left- but that didn't take away any of the good she'd done. That she hid her drinking from them was just another way she tried to be a good grandmother for them. ❤️🩹🙏
Congratulations on writing such a poignant and powerful story for your first published work. You have a wonderful voice that is authentic and insightful. Please keep writing and sharing your voice.
Thanks for writing! I can't sleep & I've been doing lots of thinking about the past and where/who I've been. I forget so quickly how much I guess we all have inside us. Goodness and love and hope are all good things, and being honest and real as we get older. Not giving in to despair. I guess I needed to be reminded of all that, and somehow you just did it for me. Whew. I need to get some rest! Happy New Year! Thanks again for your kind words. 😊 🙏 ❤️✌️
What a beautiful gift this is, Mary! The frank and accurate introspection is what got me, here: "I cried to think she’d gone out and bought the ingredients for those dishes in anticipation of our visit," and here: "Knowing she spent time thinking of what I might like, thinking of me as she walked alone in the cold to the store, fills me with all the love any mother could give a child." Congratulations, and happy holidays to you.
thank you for reading 💓
You got the exact feeling that I hoped to express here! There's something about the smallest gifts, like taking a walk in the cold and thinking of us, or buying a meal we loved so long ago, that mean so much to me. Thank you for writing such sweet words and thank you for getting what I so badly wanted to say! ❤️🩹🙏🥹
There is such tender love amid the sadness in this story. It only proves that despite the darkness sometimes caused by our human weaknesses, the spark of love is still able to shine through. Thank you for sharing your Mom's story.
love amid sadness ❤️
Thank you!! I'm very moved by your kind words. I love what you say about love shining through despite the darkness we sometimes have to go through. ❤️🙏❤️
Stunning. Thank you for writing this.
Thanks Lisa! This was my very first time attempting to write for publication. It was painful but also very healing for me. I hope my mom is proud today, wherever she is! 🥹❤️🩹🙏
Mary, you did a fantastic job. And I know your Mom would be proud.
Thanks Kate! You were the reason I was able to write this. Thank you for being such a wonderful and supportive teacher. ❤️🩹🙏
Thanks, Mary. You worked really hard on this piece and I’m really happy that I could help you find a home for it.
Beautifully written! The way you balanced the hard truths speaking from a kind place are so touching and powerful. Brava!
Thanks for your very kind response! And thanks for reading my story. 🥲🙏
Mary, thank you so much for sharing your mother and yourself with us. I feel the love you have for her, and I feel the work you have done to have forgiveness and compassion for your beautiful mother. I appreciate your honesty and courage.
i love this response ❤️
Thank you!! It means so much to me to hear that. I was afraid to do this, but I'm happy to be able to honor my mom, who died before I could really tell her how much I loved her. ❤️🙏💕
A tender story written with compassion and honesty.
Thank you Jan! I love the word "tender." It's a beautiful compliment. 😌🙏
Amazing story! So honest and rare but without bitterness. Wow! Well done.
Thank you Celia! I've never written anything that I believed others might want to read, but I'm especially proud to see that you used those words to describe my first story! (Rare! How nice it is to hear that!) 🥲
What a heartfelt tribute to a Mom, who from your description, had to be difficult to love and understand. I didn't have that history with my Mom but she was not the most demonstrative with her love. I have some things of hers that I treasure and find myself talking to her when I hold them. Thank you for sharing your memory with all of us.
I hope you write about your mother and share it here! Thanks for your kind, wise words. 🙏❤️🩹
I love this piece. It is very poignant. I'm thrilled that my student Mary got it published here and worked with a great editor. So glad I told my memoir class about The Keepthings.
Hurray for Kate! I hope others will give this a shot. They will have so much support from the editor! Couldn't have done it without you!! 🥹❤️
Heartbreakingly beautiful.
Thanks for reading! 🙏❤️🩹🥰
What a perfect story for December during the holiday season, when we are all receiving and sending Christmas cards and thinking of the perfect gift for our loved ones and friends. This is a great reminder that a simple gift is sometimes the best present.
Yes, I believe that's true. Thank you for reading this & for your sweet comments 🙏❤️🩹
sure thing. It's a perfect addition to the Keepthings!
You are a very good writer- thank you for sharing your story with us.
Thank you for reading my story. It's so nice to be called a good writer! I'm not sure it's true, but it does feel good! 😊🙏
Some defeats in her life, but her victories were huge.... what she overcame to be a grandmother after a very hard time as a mother.... your appreciation of her fills these words.
Thank you! You're so right about how my mom was able to be a good grandma to our two boys, especially when they were very young. I was amazed & very happy to see how gentle & attentive & competent she was with them. (They were born 13 months apart! ) It brought me so much joy to watch her care for them. We found the empty bottles in a trash can behind the house after she left- but that didn't take away any of the good she'd done. That she hid her drinking from them was just another way she tried to be a good grandmother for them. ❤️🩹🙏
this is so poignant
Congratulations on writing such a poignant and powerful story for your first published work. You have a wonderful voice that is authentic and insightful. Please keep writing and sharing your voice.
Thanks for writing! I can't sleep & I've been doing lots of thinking about the past and where/who I've been. I forget so quickly how much I guess we all have inside us. Goodness and love and hope are all good things, and being honest and real as we get older. Not giving in to despair. I guess I needed to be reminded of all that, and somehow you just did it for me. Whew. I need to get some rest! Happy New Year! Thanks again for your kind words. 😊 🙏 ❤️✌️