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Final message
Do you have any on your phone? The last text or DM with someone who has since passed away? This one is to my friend Tom. We had dinner plans and I was texting him to chat about changing the day. But he was already in hospital. And died a few days later. I met…
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For all ages
My parents often had a couple of parties over the Christmas season. Having games around that people could play was part of how they entertained. The games were for the kids, of course, but the adults would dip in. Labyrintspel is a tricky game. It beleaguered my patience no end. I couldn’t even get the…
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Flossing
After Dad died, I organized his stuff. When I cleaned out his bathroom I found the dental floss he was using when he died. It was pretty new. So, I kept it and used it up. I allowed myself to believe using the floss gave me a special connection to him that would help establish…
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The 50
As I learn to de-precious, I am discovering that some very small items can take up an enormous amount of space. This boat key is one of them. I found it in Dad’s shop after he died. I was around seven when he bought a speedboat with a 50 horsepower Mercury outboard motor. I remember…
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Time-O-Lite
Before computers, my father was a photographer and he developed his own photographs in a dark room. He used the Time-O-Lite to time the exposure of a negative onto photo sensitive paper. The image wouldn’t be visible until the paper was bathed in developer chemicals. It was magical. I was of course, not allowed to…
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Beach walks with Dad
My father had a habit of collecting a bit of driftwood when he went for a walk on the beach. Later, he would write on it. Documenting the location, the date and sometimes, his companions. Over the years, they piled up and made a little beach on a shelf… and then after he died, a…
