There was a weather-stained carving of an old-fashioned cross above the kitchen sink. It looked as hard as iron, but the wood was soft, held together by strands of brown rope. It came from their home in Georgia. She said it was a sure-enough heirloom, passed down from the old plantation days. When the family moved, it was wrapped in tissue paper and set in a small pecan-wood box, then packed in hard cardboard. It wasnβt very big, the size of a boyβs hand, and it was colorless against the yellow kitchen wall. Some nights, he would see his mother staringΒ at the cross, her hands wrist-deep in soap bubbles. She was listening or praying, idly scrubbing an iron skillet, or fumbling with cutlery. He envied her faith and wondered what she saw, what she heard. He knew she would pass the cross on to him when the time came, and he hoped that when it did, he would understand what she was waiting on.
Sounds like a good beginning for a much longer story…
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Thank you. Actually, it is. π
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This is a beautiful beginning, Steven. It reminds me of sitting in my great-grandfather’s living room.
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Thanks, Tanya. I think those quiet, unframed moments can create profound memories that would otherwise go by unnoticed.
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Profound !!!
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Aww, thank you. π
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Wonderful and so evocative. Thank you Steven. Loving these snippets.
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Thank you Laura. This little piece was unexpected. An idle thought that grew. π
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I’m glad it did. I can see my mom at the sink, her hands in the suds π
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That was the image that popped in my head first. Not your mom, of course. π
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π
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For some reason, I love the line about it being packed in a pecan-wood box. Well written!
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Thanks, I appreciate that!
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Beautiful. A complete arc in so few words. Well done. π
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Thank you, I appreciate that. π
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Free proofreading is a good thing. I swear. π
“but was the wood was soft”
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Your piece was short but it was packed with a great setting, and the beginnings of interesting characters and plot. Very interesting!
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Thanks very much. π
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I love the mystery of the adult world that this piece plays out so beautifully. Wonderful details and imagery as always. π
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Thanks, Diana. I’ve never written about faith before, so it’s a little tentative. I think it fits in with the themes I’ve been working on. π
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I’m pulling together interview questions for you, finally. It’s hard because I want to have a conversation with you, not just answers to question (does that make sense). I love, love your writing and want to understand where it comes from and how it evolves. β€ Ah, well, I'll send my questions to you this weekend π
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I’m looking forward to it. I know it’ll be interesting. π
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This piece evoked a lot of emotion and thought within me. Well-written, well done.
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Thanks so much! π
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A nice gentle family story, Steven. I read where it’s the beginning of a longer story. It sounds interesting. Good writing. π — Suzanne
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Thank you, Suzanne. It’s an ambitious project, so I hope it all fits together. π
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All the best. π — Suzanne
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And to you. π
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