Photo prompt © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
He’d always forget the flowers.
Birthdays. Anniversaries. Valentine’s Day. Births of children.
It’s not that he didn’t love her. She knew he did. He showed it in how he always cleared ice off her wind-shield. In how he took the garbage out and did dishes she’d left in the sink for the morning. In how he put the toilet paper ‘over’ even though he preferred it ‘under.’
But he always forgot the flowers.
The day of the biopsy results he came home with a gilded bouquet.
“These won’t wilt,” he said. “You’ll see them and not forget me.”
For Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers
That’s just lovely
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🙂 Thank you, Neil!
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Ohhh Na’ama… this is heart breaking! True love is in the every day actions. Flowers wilt and are a waste.
But these flowers that won’t die like he will… You slay me win this one.
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I’m sorry, Dale … 😦
But, yes … true love is in the every day actions, isn’t it?
Hugs your way m’dear!
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No you’re not!! It was a great write and you elicited emotion. I call that successful and nothing to be sorry about!
Yes, it most definitely is in the everyday actions.
Hugs right back!
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Xoxo
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😘😘
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Lovely!
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Thank you, Lisa! 🙂
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Sad and love.y.
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Thank you! 🙂
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Sorry, I meant to say “lovely”
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🙂 I figured as much–I make typos all the time, so I’m fluent in Typoese … 😉
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I started off reading and thought its not a poem,its short and suddenly,I stopped breathing…
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Yep … not a poem … and yep … this one’s short (the Friday Fictioneers challenge is fab for keeping us all concise … which is especially good for writers/poets/verbose persons like me … who tend to go longish if not told to go shortish …) 😉
As for the breath part — I take that as a compliment … but … please continue breathing …
Thanks for the comment!
🙂
Na’ama
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That really was a compliment,and yes,Iam still breathing.Also,when words are less,I feel emotions are stronger
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🙂 Glad to hear you are still breathing! Whew! Can you imagine the guilt (and I’m Jewish, so it comes built-in as it is …) if you hadn’t … 😉
Jokes aside … I agree that sometimes less words can carry more emotions. While I do enjoy painting the more elaborate aspects of scenes and dialogue (none of my three full length novels are particularly short … ;)), I find it good practice to distill my vision of a story, scene, or character in brief vignettes like these, as well.
Language is fabulous.
And … thank you again for the compliment! 🙂
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Sure!Except the guilt part,you got me a bit confused.*wink*
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🙂
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Oh, that last line is heart-breaking. She won’t care for flowers in the future, I’m certain.
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I think you may well be right … Thank you for the comment!
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Your story is beautiful and poignant. I love your choice of everyday actions that show he really does love his wife dearly. As Gabi says, though, his wife may find flowers too upsetting to give her pleasure when they are so strongly associated with her loss of him.
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Hi Penny,
Thank you! And … yes … she may find flowers upsetting, though I hope that in time she might find solace in the memories they may bring of his many acts of love, and of the self-deprecation that his gesture showed. At least, that is what I hope for her.
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😊❤
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This could be written about Terry and me. He never thinks of flowers, but he takes such good care of me in more practical ways, and I think I’m really rather spoiled 🙂 Lovely story, even though the ending is sad.
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I’m glad Terry is there for you in all the ways that matter! May you be together for many many many more!
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Thank you 🙂 Fifty years in June 🙂
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Fab! And here’s to added blessings to many more!
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Very touching, well done.
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Thanks, Iain! 🙂
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Na’ama Y’karah,
A dear friend of mine just lost her husband. I can’t help but tear up over this beautifully told story. It is all about actions, isn’t it? Brava!
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you, Rochelle. Yes, it is all about actions … and in the HOW of doing them. The small acts of love that speak louder than chocolates on Valentine’s Day or flowers picked up just to avoid confrontation.
I’m so sorry for your friend’s loss. It is so heartbreaking. Always.
Hugs
Na’ama
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This year my husband and I agreed to nothing for Valentine’s Day. We went grocery shopping and he didn’t buy me overpriced flowers. We wished each other a happy day on Facebook and had wine and cheese for “dinner.” It was a good day. Nuff said.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Nuff said indeed!
🙂
Na’ama
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A meaningful and poignant story. It is in the little things that he showed his love and that’s what she’ll miss. We all have our own way of showing we care.
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Indeed and exactly! 🙂 Thank you, Brenda!
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There are many touching stories this week. I believe the everyday little things are the most important in a relationship. I think we all want to remember a loved one in a way that honors their life. Perhaps, she grow to love this last bouquet. I loved the title, Na’ama. It’s fitting.
Isadora 😎
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Thank you, Isabela! 🙂 Yes, I hope she’ll grow to love it and will have a little smile when she sees it, remembering his little acts of love throughout.
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People have different ways of demonstrating their love and affection. A poignant piece indeed.
Click to read my FriFic tale!
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Thank you, Keith! Indeed they do and there is more than one way to love and show love. 🙂 Na’ama (off to read your tale!)
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When is he going to tell her? Strange, I felt slightly shocked of his presumption.
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I think she knows … and I think that they both waited for the biopsy results and his gilded bouquet on the day the results came in was his way to help, perhaps, both of them process the reality of what it meant. …
What do you think?
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Yes, you are probably correct. She would know as these things do not happen over night.
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At least I certainly hope she knows! … Sounds like their relationships was a very loving one, and that they’d share the process …
Great comment, though. Because the very fact the question rose in you means that the possibility remains that even in such a relationship there could be secrets kept, even under the false perception of ‘protective love’ or ‘not wanting to worry.’
Personally, I’m for transparency. Together through the good times. Together through the bad times. Eh?
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Sweet symbolism of the glass flowers. I’m sure the wife was touched!
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I would like to think she was! Heartbroken, too, of course, for the realities ahead of them, but hopefully the flowers would remain a steady symbolism of his love of her. Thanks for the comment, Tannille!
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Maybe they get through his treatment together?
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Maybe!
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I like how he shows his love through the little helpful and considerate things he does. A sad ending, they have a difficult time ahead of them.
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Indeed they do … and hopefully love would get them through in the best way possible. Still, yes, sad …
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Flowers are pretty, but they don’t last very long. He had the right idea all along.
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I think maybe he did! 🙂 Thanks for reading and commenting! 🙂
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She will at least not forget it now…
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I think she will not …
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