And sot it continues…. forgot to link up, and lost a day!
My dear Friday Fictioneer friends, I’ve missed this so much! I took off last minute to Israel, to see my daughter and help her move. She is expecting our first grandchild, and there was a lot happening all at once– so I surprised her for her 25th birthday, and showed up to lend a hand. Besides a lack of hot water, there was limited wi-fi and virtually no free time– so I’ve missed the past couple of weeks of writing and reading… and I really did miss it! What a thrill to tune in this morning and see that my photo is featured this week! It was taken on the final state of our trek to Machu Picchu, three summers ago. That is my daughter and dog that followed us for several miles. We named him Machu. This story is dedicated to my daughter, who has always walked boldly in the world.
In the meantime, a post I wrote just before I left, about my work at Hospice, was featured on Huffington Post while I was away. I was informed that it “officially went viral.” I was so grateful that the patient whose work was included in the piece, got to see it do so well. He died on Saturday, feeling very good about his poem being featured.
Friday Fictioneers is masterfully run and wrangled by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. Find more details, more stories, and join along by visiting her blog: Addicted to Purple. Sorry for the long intro! Just excited to be back with my FF peeps! Honest, positive or constructive feedback is always appreciated.
© Dawn Quyle Landau
Out Into the World She Boldly Walks (100 words, with effort)
Sarah packed her favorite sweater and her softest t-shirts, tucking socks and underwear near the top of her bag. Her journal, filled with her dreams and thoughts, she placed in last– knowing there would be new pages to write.
She kissed her parents at the door. “I’d really like to walk to the train station on my own,” she told them.
She didn’t want teary goodbyes and drama.
Callie, her faithful companion for 15 years, followed her to the end of the street. As Sarah walked away, the old dog’s tail thumped, her soft whimper filled with love and loss.
* * *
Help Me Reach My Goals! I’d love to see the Tales From the Motherland Facebook page reach 700 likes in 2015. Have you stopped by to spread some fairy dust? Follow me on Twitter, where I’m forced to be brief. Most importantly, if you like a post I’ve written, hit Like and leave a comment. I love to hear what readers think. Honest, positive or constructive feedback is always welcome. Click Follow; you’ll get each new post delivered by email, with no spam. If you see ads on this page, please let me know. They shouldn’t be there. ©2014 Please note, that all content and images on this site are copyrighted to Dawn Quyle Landau and Tales From the Motherland, unless specifically noted otherwise. If you want to share my work, please give proper credit. Plagiarism sucks.
TALES FROM THE MOTHERLAND 
The loss is felt not just by the people, but by the animals who love us. Dogs, especially, I think. Every cat I’ve ever known has been pretty aloof.
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I can’t deny… we did have a 15 year old dog named Callie, but she may be a metaphor for me in this piece. 😉 Thanks so much for your feedback H! You’ve been on my mind, but I have been go, go, going since our chat!! xo
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She really hasn’t written in her journal for months. Sweaters and cotton tee are out of the bag and neatly places in a dresser.
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Ahhh… you should probably know, that the dog is a metaphor for Sarah’s mother, in this piece… xo
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This is really beautiful, Dawn. Nice softness to it. I could hear the whimpering of the dog. Congrats on your viral post!! That’s so awesome. And a new grandchild!!! How exciting for you. You must be over the moon.
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Thanks Amy! Over. The. Moon… indeed!
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Brave, bold, and bittersweet – this story made me smile. Thanks for the prompt. It was truly inspirational. Welcome back. I’ve been absent for a couple of weeks myself. Like you, I miss it when life takes over.
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Thanks Honie. I fell like I have so much catching up to do… that posting a story would have been unfair. I could not have read anyone’s stories over the past few weeks– I’m barely catching up now! I was home for 3 days, and we hosted an annual party for 45. I cleaned up that mess and got on a plane yesterday for a pre-planned visit with family… man! I can empathize with gerbils right now! 😉 Thanks so much for stopping by; I’ll be over to yours shortly.
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Glad to see you back! And congrats again to you and your daughter.
I know you probably have a lot to catch up on, but I was thinking of you when I wrote my post this week……whenever you get a chance, I’d love to hear your thoughts 😉
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I will absolutely head over there, as soon as I can M. I’m touching base quickly here, but hope to do some reading and catching up on favorite blogs (of which yours has long been one!) tonight. I had it flagged in my save folder. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by. xo
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OK, this just made me cry, for many reasons. Guess I would have flunked the tearless goodbye! What a beautiful parallel. A whole new world is beginning for all of you! Oh how exciting to be anticipating the first baby of the next generation! But nobody will ever believe that you’re old enough to be a grandmother; not if they’ve seen you in person!
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You are FAR too kind, Valery! Thank you. This is, of course, a metaphor. We mothers eventually end up following behind… whining. 😉 And yes, it is all very exciting!
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What a precious story, Dawn. Thanks for this, for boldly sharing life as you see it, for being a devoted mother, and for the great picture this week.
Shalom,
Marie Gail
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Thank you so much, Marie Gail. It was a thrill to see this photo– to be honest, I’d forgotten I sent it in! I’m glad it inspires. Shalom.
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I felt the unspoken thoughts in your story that you hinted at so subtly with the journal Sarah packed last. And she didn’t want ‘teary goodbyes’, even though I believed there were some tears hidden somewhere out of sight. It is a masterful stroke to suggest emotions without ever directly alluding to them. Perhaps it was inspiration derived from a photo of your own experience that elevated your game. Whatever it was, the unstated feelings were palpable. My single-word critical comment – Wow!
Finally, congratulations on the grandma thing! I think grandchildren are the biggest payoff for having children, and that is the voice of experience talking. 🙂 – Mike
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It’s hard to respond to your amazing praise, Mike. It humbles me to the core. Thank you. xo
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How exciting a grandchild!! Congrats on all the good stuff. I’m thankful his poem was read by so many. What a wonderful goodbye gift you gave him, Dawn.
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It meant the world to me, Audra. He really deserved to leave this world feeling some pride in his words. Thank you.
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You touch the world is wonderful ways with your writing, Dawn. I’m so glad the poem reached so many. Sweet story – the sadness is palpable.
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Thanks Cathy. Your wonderful feedback means so much… always.
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Lovely photo, and your story reflected the sadness of the parting. Beautifully told.
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Thank you so much, Sandra. I am dying to see what you’ve done with this photo…. No doubt, parting is most often bitter sweet.
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Dawn, thanks for the photo prompt, it really brought out some interesting, sad, and crazy stories. I, too, hate goodbyes and usually just “disappear” if I can so can really relate to Sarah. Although, like Mike said, I’m sure the tears were there. Well done.
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I’m not good with goodbyes either, Alicia… I am more like Callie, than I’d like to believe. Thank you!
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A beautiful story and a beautiful intro. Congrats on everything Dawn,form the new grandbaby on the way to the Huff Post piece. Ride the wave!
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Surfing, baby, surfing! Thanks so much, Dawn.
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🙂 🙂 🙂
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Ah.. only the dog got to part with her.. but I think the rest of the family knows that she will be coming back.. what wonderful news about your daughter, so exciting 🙂
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Thanks Björn– I think Callie carries a little bit of all of them with her… especially “Sarah’s” mom. 😉
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Congrats on your daughter’s pregnancy, how wonderful! Love the photo and the story. I think it is harder to wriy about a photo of people we know than one that forces us to make something completely up. Great job!
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Thanks so much, Heidi. Can’t say I made this up entirely: our beloved dog, Callie, died at 15. She is always with us. My girl did all that Sarah did… and I have been whining ever since. 😉
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Welcome back from Israel, Dawn. It sounds like your life is packed full of things. This is a great story. So much anticipation, like standing on the brink, about to take the plunge.
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Thanks David… yes, so many things lately! I really appreciate you taking the time to read my story. I feel like you got the heart of it. 🙂
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Congratulations, Dawn, on the new grandchild that’s coming and on your story that went viral. This is a lovely story and a tribute to your daughter, whose picture you used. Well done as always. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Thanks so much Suzanne. It is a very exciting and happy time for sure. 🙂
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PS) I looked for your story this week, Suzanne and couldn’t find one. Did you submit something?
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Dear Dawn, WOW too! Love your story, the picture prompt. Your stories are always entertaining and thoughtful. You did a nice thing for the dying man – You have a gift of being able to touch peoples lives with your memorable words! Loved it! Nan 🙂
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Nan, thank you so much. You are such a kind and supportive reader; I always appreciate your wonderful feedback. 🙂
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Such a good story – that’s the way to live, because we never know what time we have. I envy Sarah, who’s got it right!
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We all go out into the world sooner or later… for the most part. Hopefully we do it on our own steam, following our own dreams!
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So many things to say…
Welcome back! I hope your travels were fun as well as busy; that sounds like a lovely surprise for your daughter, and congratulations to her (and you) on the impending good news! Meanwhile, a Huffington Post and viral-ness … another wow and yet more congrats in order there.
And that’s before I’ve even got to your photo, which is beautiful and which I couldn’t resist, even from the green pastures of Mexico, let alone the frozen wasteland here in Toronto, and your story, which is filled with so much love and truth. I’ve been that daughter, one day I hope to be that mother – in both cases the letting go shows the strength of the love, not a weakness in it.
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Jennifer, thank you, thank you, and thank you some more. I appreciate all of your kind tidings and well wishes. The gig as a featured blogger on HP has been a distinctly mixed bag, to be honest… great exposure, of course, but a little more pressure in regards to putting out work, and the feedback I can expect. It was a huge surprise to see that particular post do so well– but it was a particularly special piece, so that much nicer to have it get some good exposure.
Again, thank you so much for all of your kind words; they are much appreciated!
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Dear Dawn,
I’m happy to see your link back in the Hollywood Squares as Russell calls them. As a mother I felt the firsthand reality in this story. There comes that time of letting go that rips at our hearts and, at the same time, makes us with pride. The addition of the dog in the story added to my tears. There’s nothing like the tender faithful love in those brown eyes, is there? Beautifully written as I’ve come to expect. (I hope this all makes sense from this emotional cat herder.)
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Your feedback always makes sense and is always so wonderful. Thank you Rochelle!
Give your crazy, wonderful, spinning universe, I’m so impressed that you have time for any of this!! Bravo to you!
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Beautiful story. The sense of sadness at Sarah’s leaving is well expressed in so few words. 🙂
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Thank you very much afairymind. Welcome to Tales From the Motherland! I appreciate you taking the time to read my work and share a comment. 🙂
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Letting our children go is one of the most difficult things, but has to be done, if they are to grow and flourish. As a nearly new grandmother (my granddaughters are 4 years old) I can feel your excitement at the prospect of a grandchild. I can’t put into words the feelings I have for mine, I was taken by surprise at the hold they took of my heart from the minute I first saw them.
Great story Dawn and a lovely photo.
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Thanks so much Dee. Yes, it is a bittersweet thing indeed to have to let our children go… even with the pride and excitement I fell in watching them live their lives. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.
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Wonderful. I can empathise so easily with your characters – thinking back to my own youthful departures, and, like you, staying behind while my own young ones set off. I love how you’ve used old Callie to carry the emotions.
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Thanks Margaret. By a certain point in life, many things are familiar to so many of us! Rights of passage… I appreciate you taking the time to read and comment. 🙂
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Your writing has such a smooth, easy flow to it. This is a beautiful snapshot in time. I remember leaving home and the pain and tears in my mother’s heart. Then our own children grew and flew the nest. I suppose that’s the natural order of things. Congrats on the grandchild. They’re a blast.
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Thanks so much Russell… and so the clock ticks on…. I think we all complete this circle at some point. If we’re lucky we one day get to watch our own children complete it as well. 😉
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Nicely done and a great photo prompt this week. Nice to see you back!
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Thanks Erin. I’m flying by the seat of my pants lately, but love FF!
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Congratulations on the upcoming grandchild, Dawn, and welcome back. Your story is a lovely beginning to another stage of life and rings true.
janet
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Thanks os much Janet. It’s a really exciting time for us… though it’s so hard having our girl so far away! A grandchild will make that even harder. 😦 Seeing this photo of my girl, walking away is bitter sweet for sure. I’m so glad you liked the story.
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the prospect of new adventures would somehow deaden the pain of leaving. unfortunately, for those left behind, there’d be emptiness that couldn’t be filled.
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Oh that is so very true! Thanks so much.
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Lovely images. 🙂
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Thank you so much for taking the time to read it. 🙂
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Ah, now you made me cry. Lovely, lovely story. Congrats on so many happy news. Grandma! 😉
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Thanks so much! It will be hard to get used to that word… but in the most wonderful ways. 😉 And, I suppose I’d prefer to make you cry reading, than any other way!
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