Picture courtesy of Doug MacIlroy
Call the police, I broke the law. Scattering ashes requires a permit most places. Hawaii must have its share of scofflaws like me who come to honor a loved one’s last wishes…but then again, they have ashes in the wind on a regular basis. This story is more truth than fiction. Thanks to Doug for the lovely muse his photo provided.
Word Count: 99
Silver Linings
– Well, now you can scatter my ashes with dad’s on Maui this summer.
We were listing the positives of mom’s terminal diagnosis, trying to make the best of things.
– Somewhere near Makena Beach, if you can. You kids used to have such fun there.
Hawaii wove through my parent’s life like a vibrant green tendril, tying together our memories. It was their paradise, their place.
Rising above the clouds as we head back to the mainland, the sun paints their edges with liquid silver. Promises kept, memories honored, we left more than our hearts behind this time.
Please check out the links to all the other Flash Friday Fictioneers, which can be found here.
© Erin Leary
erinlearywrites 
Lovely moving piece Erin! And the title is just perfect.
Thank you, Gabriella. The title was there before the words came.
Beautiful story!
Thank you, Dawn. I was hoping to keep it from getting maudlin (one of my mom’s words). I hope I succeeded.
Lovely and loving story, Erin.
janet
Thank you, Janet. Doug’s picture brought back some memories.
Dear Erin,
Lovely and not a word out of place.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thank you, Rochelle. That means a lot coming from you.
A beautiful piece. Nostalgic and sad without being overly sentimental. Just the right balance.
Thanks, Sandra. I didn’t want to sound wallow-y (<– made up word) and I'm glad you thought it was balanced. Appreciate your feedback, as always!
Very well-done. It made me tear up.
Thank you. Anytime my writing can evoke an emotional response, it feels like success. And thank your for the follow.
Very moving, and obviously from the heart.
Thank you, Jan. Yes, while not completely truth, it is from my experience.
Awww. Wonderful! Depths of emotion plumbed. Great!
Thank you for reading!
lovely
Thank you for reading – and thank you for the follow. Will be heading out to read shortly.
What a sweet, sad story. Beautiful.
Thank you for reading!
Great line, “…vibrant green tendril, tying together our memories.” Sorry for your loss.
Thank you, Patti. It’s now a memory that brings peace.
As has been said so often before, truly beautiful Erin!
Thank you, Troy. I’m glad you liked it.
I’m glad I read it =)
Tender and touching. What a sweet tribute!
Facing things was something my mom did well. I hope to do as well in my life. Thanks for reading!
Very moving and absolutely beautiful, Erin. I love the green tendril woven through their lives. I really like the sun painting the edges with silver, too. Just perfect.
Thank you – it felt like the right image to use.
Beautifully written, Erin. I love the title and every bit of the story. 🙂
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
This is just wonderful. I love your beautiful line, “Hawaii wove through my parent’s life like a vibrant green tendril, tying together our memories.”
Thank you – my dad began his love affair with Hawaii as a 17 year old in the Navy during WWII.
This is beautiful. Thank you for sharing this, at a time so apt for me.
My pleasure. I felt I could have written yours – I share your feelings and feel your pain.
I rather think you could. It does help, knowing there are other people, all over the world, who know what loss feels like (and how inadequate is that one word to describe how we feel…).
Lovely thoughts among a deep loss. I like that the parents had a paradise together, and their kids respected this. And your description of the sun painting the clouds silver was beautiful… indeed a silver lining.
I like it. Bittersweet memories.