An Old Story – working title

by Sherry Campbell

Chapter 1 ~ Mom

Autumn

 October was always Michael’s favorite month.   For one thing, it was his birthday month.  And then, there was Halloween – his favorite holiday.  He had lived most of his life in the northeast and the crisp fall air, the almost blinding beauty of golden Oaks and crimson Maples gave him a sense of re-birth in a way that Spring never had.  Now, sitting at his desk, looking out at the slightly muted version of the October that North Carolina offered, thoughts of childhood flickered as though he had a slide projector in his mind.

Mom.

His reverie was broken by his 18 year old daughter Laura. “Dad, is there going to be a funeral?”  She gently came to his side and put her hands on his shoulders.  Michael knew she hadn’t been prepared to lose the last of her grandparents and that she was feeling the loss deeply.  He had given this some though – maybe she needed some kind of formal farewell to come to terms with the empty space in her young life.  But dismissed the idea because of his mother’s wishes.

“No, honey.  Your Gram made it abundantly clear she wanted none of that.  No ceremonies.  No funeral.  Certainly no burial!  She couldn’t stand the thought of taking up space somewhere.” Michael chuckled.  So frugal.  So practical.  She didn’t even want an urn.  ‘Just sprinkle me over the garden!  I’d like to fertilize the sunflowers!’  He smiled and shook his head.

Laura brightened as though she read his unspoken memories.  “I’m going to plant sunflowers for her – they were always her favorite.”  Michael was used to Laura’s remarkable sensitivity and often uncanny perception. “She would have loved that, hon.”

“ She WILL love it, Dad.  She will be here every year to see them bloom.  I just know it.”  Laura left as quietly as she had appeared and Michael fell back into the melancholy that had been his constant companion for the past couple of days.

Mom.  I always depended on you to live forever.

********************

Spring

As it turned out, Laura’s need – for ceremony, for a proper farewell – could not be denied.  It took her no time at all to contact many of her Gram’s friends – scattered all around the country.  She set up a Facebook page with photographs of family trips, images from decades past, going as far back as high school.  Michael knew his mother had led an extremely full and satisfying life and never ceased to take on new challenges, always making new friendships with extraordinary people.  Still, the response took his breath away – the sheer volume of messages, well wishes, funny stories, words of love.  Some people he remembered.  Many he did not.

Come March, Laura planted her sunflower seeds in the garden next to the beds of daffodils that were in bloom.  His mother had planted those bulbs the first year she bought their family country cottage, the place they now called home.  How often he had seen her sitting in the big Adirondack chair, in the sun, gazing at those daffodils.  He had thought that, actually, they were her favorite flower, but he wasn’t about to discourage Laura with her sunflowers!

They had saved the simple box with her ashes all winter so they could satisfy his mother’s wishes…to sprinkle the ashes among the soil with the sunflower seeds.  When the early Spring showers subsided, the three of them – Michael, his wife Jenna, and Laura – went out into the garden to say their farewells.  His son Ely had moved to a new job in California. There was no need to make the trip, Michael thought.  She’s not here.

Impotence is said to be a sexual issue where in the man has a lot of problems while he makes erections so basically the issue is related to the erections of a person and when a person fails to make erections. cheap viagra cialis Sildenafil Citrate is pharmacy on line viagra check out this the main ingredient present in this medicine which is FDA approved and so, can be consumed safely after seeking proper advice from medical experts. You have to realize that purchasing cialis in canada pharmacy is not a challenging undertaking in this day and period of internet shopping and e-business deals. Usual setback of flaccid organ tadalafil cialis This is a very usual setback and as the man ages the problem can get compounded. Each of them had chosen a poem to read  – something they associated with his mother, words that she loved.  He read Frost’s ROAD LESS TRAVELED.

“I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood and I –

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference”

Then the showers began again and they all came inside.  They spent the afternoon listening to Puccini, sipping herb tea and eating ginger cookies.

Mom’s Legacy

Very typical of his mother, all financial and practical matters had been beautifully organized, documented and legally neatly tied with a nice ‘bow’.  She had told Michael specifically what she was leaving behind and even though it was not a huge estate, it was enough to make a difference in his family’s life.  Trust funds for the kids, retirement funds for him and his wife. The cottage in the mountains.  Then there were lists of personal items that she wanted given to specific people, along with photographs so there would be no mistake as to who was to get what.  This was her – practical, thorough.

In the past couple of years, whenever she had brought up this subject, he didn’t want to talk about it.  Now, he had to admit he was grateful that she had done all that planning and decision-making and he didn’t have to guess.  Her vast collection of recorded music was donated to the town’s library so it could be shared. Her equally voluminous collection of sheet music went to the high school music department. And so many books! Designated by topic and given to people who would appreciate them. Works of art were given to members of the family and close friends, or donated to museums. There had been many items she that wanted him to keep: stacks of Playbills dating back decades and some very personal things – a snow globe that played music from Puccini’s La Boheme, a crystal apple paperweight, a tiny 14k gold charm of a crab – random things she had cherished for years.

In keeping his promise to deliver all of her chosen gifts to the right people, he had the pleasure of experiencing their joy of receiving. He listened to their stories of working together, involvement with theatre and music, writing groups, parties, trips, how they had loved her, had been grateful to have her as a friend. None of this surprised him, of course. He had always thought of her as having lived a rather ‘charmed’ life.  Like everyone, she had her challenges, but she seemed to somehow rise above them. Her indomitable spirit and positive attitude left no room for negativity or depression. He had learned resilience from her, and he supposed that had been her greatest gift to him.

It was deep summer by the time everything was completed.  Accounts were in their rightful places, his mother’s treasures now in new homes. Michael stored all the paperwork in his office – a whole file drawer with the label “Hannah’s Last Wishes – Granted”.  She would have been proud.

He looked out the window into the garden, at the abundance of sunflowers opening their petals to the afternoon light. So many of them.  I’d like to fertilize the sunflowers.

 Good job, Mom.