I am determined to get my submission in on time this week – I’ve been up since 7 a.m.!
Hope is a white fence smiling, the overgrown path, opportunity, and the tumbledown wreck of a house, a life waiting to be rebuilt.
Eva loosens the scarf about her neck, noose-like after the long drive, and she blends a tear into her foundation once more, but this time she has external reasons, not internal ones, for its presence and it feels good. The air doesn’t clog her thoughts with memory, only possibility, and that feeling is heightened in only the way a mother can feel, by the stirring of her best hope yet in the back of the car.
“Are we there yet?”
My gosh we are a little similar this week. I like how the little person in the back seat is the one keeping Eva firmly planted on solid ground while her thoughts take her to a place above everything that’s been making her cry. Good job.
Heh, what’s that phrase about ‘Great minds thinking alike…?’
I love the hope in this. Beautiful.
I’m glad you liked it, that means a lot to me. Thank you!
This has a nice atmosphere to it, I must say.
Thank you. My writing tends to veer into the darker side of things an awful lot, so this was a conscious effort to aim more positive!
“The stirring of her best hope…” nice. Very nice. I’m curious to know where you live? Only 4 am here when you posted.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Hiya! My family and I live in the UK, in the very breezy city of Plymouth. Hope I didn’t wake you up with my post!
Ha! Wake me? My normal wake up time is 3:00 a,m. Thanks for the answer. It fascinates me how many different areas around the globe are represented in this delightful group.
“the stirring of her best hope yet in the back of the car…” that’s so beautiful. touched my heart…
Thank you! In my head, Eva has tried so many things and been unsuccessful at them all, so her last, best hope is through her child and this escape.
I love how you describe hope in the first line!
Hope is the only thing, I feel, that can make anything, no matter what, bearable. And I love gardening – so a nice fence and tumbledown place just cries out to me!
Nicely done, and that timeless phrase to hang it on ‘are we there yet?’
It’s almost reached iconic status hasn’t it? Well, among parents anyway!!
What a lovely, hope-filled story! And I’m laughing with Sandra at the last line. I heard that a time or two in the past.
janet
I have three step-children – those are words I know only too well!
A well told story.
Thank you! I wanted something a little hopeful, ‘pending’ completion if you like.
Without hope we would dread each day, each opportunity instead of seeing it as a moment to begin anew. The accumulated days can drag us back.
There’s never enough living in the moment for anyone I feel. Too much interruption in the world!
I agree. I made sure during my December mission trip to Belize to soak in every moment. The other team members called me Spongebob.
I love your opening. So very pretty.
Further down, it might work better to say, “heightened in the way only a mother can feel,” (meaning no one else can feel this) vs. “heightened only in the way a mother can feel” (nothing else heightens this hope).
A very sweet, promising piece.
Semantics – I love it!! thank you!
off to ponder…
Nice phrasing throughout. You’ve created some nice images as well. Thanks for sharing.
Beautifully written. I don’t know if you’re a mom, but you captured the essence well!
This is a beautiful, metaphorical story.
Very positive and full of promises – that’s how life should be taken.
Your early morning efforts paid off well!
I like the little intro, like poetry, getting us set in her mind — and then all the detail you use to back up her hopeful feeling. Nicely done!
The kid in the back is going to like this place. An adventure for him!
Beautiful writing. I love the way you mix big ideas (hope) with minute details (the way she blends the tear into her foundation). Fabulous stuff!
I get all warm inside by reading your fabolous take on this. And every word is so well choosen
This was a heartwarming read. My favorite line is: “Hope is a white fence smiling…”
“the stirring of her best hope ” –lovely line.
Nice job. Just starting to read them all. Looking forward to seeing what develops from this prompt.
to see hope in the wreck of our lives is truly a blessing. ♥
I liked the turn of phrase here, bending tears into foundation was a lovely touch. Also a hopeful message, enjoyed this a lot.