There was a fantastic challenge Clark at The Wakefield Doctrine gave to Lisa at The Meaning of Me last week. Lisa took on the task and wrote a fabulous companion piece to Clark's SSS titled Single. Some very creative things happen on these blog hops.
She wondered when the aching would stop, that pain that seemed to be as a wedge right through her heart, when so much of what once had been their life was so neatly bound all about her, from the beautiful surroundings they had built together that reminded her not only of all the good things they had achieved, but also the downward spiral of his health and all they had done to plan ahead.
Through the day, and often way into the night, she tried to converse with him about what she should do concerning certain matters, but she only heard her own pleadings reverberating within the fragile casing of her soul.
He had loved her dearly, protected her and even shielded her, when possible from what might make her feel less than what he knew she was.
The responsibilities that had once been his and the unexpected challenges that seemed beyond her capabilities made it difficult for her to be able to stay calm during the day and caused her to toss and turn during the night.
Will I ever see the light of day through all this paperwork with so much legal terminology, she wondered, and can I ever be happy again?
One early morning when she finally was able to think clearly and be still, she felt comforted by what seemed to be his hand on her shoulder accompanied by his voice in her mind saying, I will love you always.
Oh, my goodness, Pat, what a fantastic Six Sentence Story. What woman hasn't wondered if she can make it on her own? I think about it sometimes and can't imagine dealing with the pain of the loss and the details of dismantling a life. This was stellar, filled with real emotion and a ray of hope at the end. I do believe our loved ones are close by after they depart this world.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Val. I think the older one gets, and becomes familiar with the things others have had to go through as their loved ones depart this life, the more these things are considered in our own lives. I think this existence and the next are very near too.
DeleteGreat job. If we are truthful, men have similar thoughts about a future without someone we've loved for so long. Good six. Lots of pull on emotions.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Paul. I'm sure that women aren't the only ones who think about these things.
DeleteYou've captured a common worry for many - women and men alike. I sometimes think how I'd handle the things my husband is in charge of. And I'm sure there are things that are my responsibility that he would have to figure out (like cooking!). I love the bit of reassurance at the end, too.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the compliment on the tandem with Clark - it was a fun challenge!
DeleteIt is good to think about some of these things, hopefully soon enough to actually do some preparation, and have the ability to understand what needs to be done, or at least have it written where others can follow through if you can't.
DeleteOne word: 'Holy Smoke! (what a moving Six)'
ReplyDelete"...her own pleadings reverberating within the fragile casing of her soul."
damn!*
* excellent writing.
Thanks, Clark.
DeleteOnce in a great while, a line will just come to me, and I find that it even surprises me, and that was one of them.
Wow. So very poignant.
ReplyDeleteThanks you. Thanks for stopping by to read this.
DeleteYou wrote well of that conundrum; wanting and needing to talk with that person about the pain and sorrow of not being able to talk with that person. I liked the resolution to this six, acceptance and peace.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Living constantly in the past doesn't allow one to continue to grow. I think it is possible to learn a lot from one's past and one's relationships from the past, but it probably isn't healthy to be stuck in that place to the point you can't move forward in your life.
DeleteExcellent Six, Pat. It really moved me. I find the older I get, the more I think of life without...and so it is an inevitable part of life's cycle.
ReplyDeleteThe Jimmy Durante song was a very nice touch :)
btw, Clark has once again "stolen" my favorite line from your 6 lol
Thanks, Denise. Those next stages of one's life seem to come so much quicker than one expects, and I find myself observing so many who are just a few steps ahead of me, and ones who are fast catching up with me. It seems to be a time when sharing and caring is needed more, perhaps more than at any other stage of life.
DeleteI've noticed that my blogger child often notices some of the same things I notice in some of the posts we read.
Very powerful six! I am experiencing this as my husband's health is steadily failing. And the one thing I'm sure of is that he's with me, and loves me.
ReplyDeleteHugs, Deborah. It is difficult to see the signs and hear of prognoses of a spouse. Knowing that he loves you and you are able to be together is such a blessing.
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