oh hun... wow *hugs* I'm really moved by that one. You definately will be a good story teller when you're older (not that you aren't now, but I can really see you as an old coot telling stories to the grand-kids or anyone who'd listen and it amused me) But there were a couple of lines that really struck me and you portray the age quite well and your descriptions are very animated. Stories and biographies can be quite dry... but you didn't give me that impression even from the start. Good work this.

*grin* That's very kind of you. I think I'll be a very good cranky ol' sod. I'm practising each and every day.
:)

Wow... Another very sorrowful one. *sigh* Very nicely written. You ended it quite well, and I find myself hoping the same. :) Nicely done!

Thanks, SR. I'm pleased you enjoyed.
:)

*^∞+1

¶+∞+1 = ^o.o^

That should have come out as "gold star to the infinity plus one power."

This is incredibly brilliant. It'd take a while to describe why.

<hug> That's infinitely good to hear. You can tell me in due course of your reasoning. :)

*wipes her eyes.... and manages... I owned a Moris Minor once...

*buries herself in his fur... hiding her face.

V.

<gives the special fox a tender hug and a cuddle>

Had I not been in this synthetic, removed and objective mood, I most likely would have cried upon reading the story, and I know full well the weight and the realisim that this story holds. Very well done.

Thank you kindly, Arsonos.
I know the mood you describe all too well. Let it phase and pass, then enjoy it all over again when it happens again.

A story teller, indeed. Sad but hopeful. A lesson learned, and perhaps, a lesson to teach as well . . . . always glad to hear a good story. This one seems to have come together very nicely, you make it look so easy :P

You write children really well. I have tried to a couple of times and I always end up feeling that I just get a character that is an adult in a smaller body. :/

Jeepers, I wish it was because I was 'empathetic' or 'talented.' I'm grateful to you.
:)
FYI, I've had the following reaction to your observation - "So? You are a big child. It should be easy for ya."
I dunno if that's a compliment or not. Heheheh.

Wonderfully done. It brings back memories of when my own grandmother died…

When I read stories like this I always think the realization that death is a reality is the first big blow to childhood. And that sucks.

It does and it doesn't ... my first real (cognitive) experience with death was when I was nine and lost a well-loved uncle. In talking to other people who didn't have that experience until they were a lot older, it seems to have hit home a hell of a lot harder.
And as someone who now has lost all of his nearest family members, I can assure you that it never gets any easier. Ever.
Thanks for your comment, as ever, TS. I'm very grateful. :)

Another absorbing work. I like the description of the box especially for some reason.

That's the thing about pictures -- the people in them are caught in that moment forever. I still remember an article talking about all the missing-person flyers that went up in New York after 9/11 -- something like "The people in these pictures don't know what has happened. They're still smiling."

Thanks, PT. I appreciate your comments. Somewhere in our past, I suppose, all of us have had our little treasure trove, and it stays with us. You know, I can still see everything in that drawer even though thirty years or more have passed. If I'm still around in another thirty, I'm sure that memory will be bright and clear when all the rest have faded to gray.

That's the thing about pictures -- the people in them are caught in that moment forever. I still remember an article talking about all the missing-person flyers that went up in New York after 9/11 -- something like "The people in these pictures don't know what has happened. They're still smiling."

There's something deep in what you just said that makes me shiver and look out my darkened window at the black night outside, and just ponder. The time in a photograph is held like a fly in amber - trapped in the moment, both in what happened, but also in the memories we carry with us from then on. It makes my mind reel.

A good story can often mingle images created by the author with ones summoned by the author's words which live only in the reader's mind. It's a kind of symbiotic magic that makes each reader's experience unique and meaningful.

As I read this I was transported to my grandmother's kitchen. Nothing like what happens in your story actually happened in my family, but your portrayal of the characters has so much weight and realism that I couldn't help filling in those roles with my own RL relatives. That alone, to me, speaks of an immense talent for creating 'voices' in your narrative that speak plainly and truthfully to the reader.

I also want to mention that you've touched on another aspect of life that I do not know personally but can nonetheless feel sharply as I read your work. Death is the natural conclusion of life. It can bring pain and sadness to those around it. But when Death kills Love, it is given a new name: Tragedy. Although I haven't experienced tragedy such as this, I can feel the almost unbearable sorrow that it leaves behind in your character's words and actions. Another mark of a talented storyteller - one who brings an unfamiliar experience to life so vividly that the reader is just as effected as the characters.

Thank you for sharing this.

A good story can often mingle images created by the author with ones summoned by the author's words which live only in the reader's mind. It's a kind of symbiotic magic that makes each reader's experience unique and meaningful.
That's a very accurate observation. I hadn't consciously thought of that, but it makes perfect sense.

I'm very grateful for your feedback - and hope that you and yours have a long and happy time together. I'm also squirming in embarrassed pleasure because I'm never one to be comfortable with compliments, as much as I enjoy receiving them. :)

Very nice and very sad. The emotion was conveyed well.

Thank you sincerely, my friend. It was a bit of an emotional trip, but it serves its purpose, I think.

Absolutely great little piece. So much emotion, so much sadness. The characters and incidents described in this are really vivid and lively. Very touching, I enjoyed reading this.

Thank you kindly, PG. It's very pleasing to get your feedback and to know that it had an impact. <hugs>

Simply stunning. I can see why this piece is close to you, because I could feel the emotion seeping off the words. Beautiful description, great structure and pacing. Brilliant. *gives you a big hug*

*returns the hug with 10% extra FREE!!!*

Sorry, been watching 'paid advertising' channels all morning. My mind is going. I can feel it.