Healing words

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Today's story a day prompt is based on a magnetic poetry kit. I remember my son's teacher gave him one of these years ago. They are definitely a fun challenge to make something out of the random words. Try the online version. It's fun!

I decided to write a story based on my own experience of losing a baby tragically twenty-two years ago, due to forceps injuries from a difficult birth. She lived six days and then died in her sleep without any warning.



Candace put the magnetic poetry pieces on the fridge. Her friend Marilyn had given her a magnetic poetry game to get her mind off the loss of the baby.

“You’ll have another,” someone said. But she wanted that baby. It wasn't like you could replace one baby with another.

 “It was meant to be,” another said. How could the death of a tiny baby so tragically and senselessly be meant to be?  

She knew people were trying to be comforting but sometimes she wished they would just be quiet and let her talk about her feelings.

Her husband Kevin came into the kitchen and saw her toying with the pieces.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“Marilyn gave it to me. It’s a magnetic poetry kit. She thought it might distract me from my grief.”

He nodded and said nothing.

The truth was that nothing could distract her from her grief. Absolutely nothing. It had to be faced and dealt with. She would never forget this baby even if she had only been on the Earth for six short days.

She stared at the jumbled words, blurry through tears.


Then she reached out and assembled some of the words.


Kevin read the words and started to cry. Candace reached for him and they hugged each other.

The healing had begun.


Comments

  1. Loni TownsendMay 2, 2014 at 7:52 AM

    Oh my gosh. I started crying. I am so sorry to hear about your daughter. It brought back that terror I had when my son was first born.

    Your story is beautiful and haunting. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMay 3, 2014 at 3:03 AM

      Thanks for sharing about your son. Must have been scary when he was so jaundiced. Plus you were so exhausted from the birth and looking after your daughter. It is a tense time when they're infants. I was a nervous wreck with Rory after Laura's death and kept expecting something awful to happen.

      Delete
  2. UnknownMay 2, 2014 at 11:12 AM

    Very emotionally. A very good piece.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Liz A.May 2, 2014 at 11:42 AM

    I'm so sorry. A bittersweet story.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMay 3, 2014 at 3:02 AM

      Thanks, Liz. Even though much time has passed, a mother never forgets. I'll always miss my angel Laura.

      Delete
  4. ChocolattezMay 2, 2014 at 4:08 PM

    beautiful… just beautiful… more like a poem than a story..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMay 3, 2014 at 3:05 AM

      Thanks, ChocoMA! You're the best! Yes, I guess it is like a poem of sorts. Fun to see what you can make out of the words. I didn't expect to write that but that's what I saw there.

      Delete

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