100 Words

I subscribe to Reader's Digest. If you do too, then you'll know that they have rather recently added a feature called “100-Word True Stories” to their magazine. The idea of crafting a whole (true) story, beginning to end, in 100 words was intriguing to me. I decided to try it as a writing exercise. Here are three of my attempts.

Generous Janel

It was Thanksgiving Day, 1993. Our fourth child was six days old, and I was recovering from a C-section, so we didn't travel that year. Our original plan was to have turkey pot pies for our meal, but then our dear friend Janel called. Could she bring us a meal? She didn’t just bring us a meal, she brought us a feast, and right on Thanksgiving Day, when she could have just stayed home and spent time with her own family. We got everything: turkey, potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and even pumpkin pie. I will never forget that gesture of generosity.

Friendship

On December 19, 1999, a great kindness was done for me. Christmas was upon us, and unfortunately, so was tragedy. During a heavy snow storm, I got the call to come to the hospital immediately. St. Mary's was where my mom was recovering from heart bypass surgery when her aorta burst. I was the first family member on the scene, thanks to Michelle, who drove through those terrible conditions to get me there. She prayed for me and wept with me at the prospect of what was to come. She didn’t hesitate when I called. Actions like these define friendship.

Right Now

I hold dear the memory of a long-ago conversation between two of my favorite people. Jessica, my sweet niece, was stricken with a progressing neurological condition. Becki, my dear sister-in-law, was in her final days of a battle with metastasized breast cancer.  Jessica always asked questions, always wanted to know about others. She asked Becki, “What is your favorite time of day?” Becki, from her prone position in a hospital bed, replied, “Right now.” Her breathing was labored but her heart sincere. I want to be like them: always wondering, and always celebrating the “right now” moments of my life.

The best part of this writing exercise was thinking of pivotal moments in my life and remembering the sweet people that made those moments pivotal. Limiting myself to 100 words was challenging, as you might imagine. I tend to go on.

Once I had crafted a few stories in 100 words, 200 words seemed like an exorbitant abundance. It was a treat to flesh out a story a bit more and see where that took me.

My Inspiration 

There are a few things you should know about how my mom lived and how she taught me to live. First of all, you need to know that my mom was a kindergarten teacher.  She lived her life through the wide eyes of five and six year olds.  She often sang little songs that embarrassed me, did finger plays for no apparent reason, and told grown people to learn to use their inside voices.  She loved smelling burning leaves in the fall, hearing songs sung by her beloved Tennessee Ernie Ford or Bing Crosby, tasting new desserts for the first time, seeing the tell-tale signs of a blizzard that might be powerful enough to call off school, and feeling the soft warmth of a kitty on her lap.  Though she didn’t write much poetry, I think much of the poet in me comes from her.  She had a knack for observation of things around her that still astounds me.  I remember sitting with her on the back porch in late summer, looking up at the stars and finding constellations.  I always felt as though she and I were discovering things for the very first time, together.  She remains my inspiration.

This is a great experiment! If you are a writer, give it a try. Whether 100 words or 200 words, I would love to see the results of your efforts. 

My mom with one of her many kindergarten classes.