Fandango’s One-Word Challenge: REMOVE
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Dear ( belated ) Birthday Girl
This is a short note to say that I have received a book that you donated to the Goodwill.
It’s funny because according to the inscription, your Grandmother and Grandad gave it to you on May 16, 2013 and nine years later, almost to the date I received it in the mail.
You will be glad to know that the book was in excellent condition. In fact the spine hadn’t been cracked yet. The pages weren’t folded or creased. In fact, it looks brand new considering it’s age. Your Grandmother’s handwritten inscription gifting it to you on your BIRTHDAY in ink was very sweet and it looked like she had just written it yesterday.
I should not to be judgy here.
Maybe you said thank you and kept it on your bookshelf- and when you saw it you thought fondly of them. Maybe you even wrote her a thank you card. Maybe you died and never read it. Maybe your Grandparents weren’t nice people and the gift meant nothing to you.
But as I consider these things, I think about my own Granddaughter’s bookshelf.
On the top shelf are a collection of books from her Great Grandparents to her Father ( my son ). Some are beautifully illustrated hardbacks, some are those little cardboard books that toddlers chew and sometimes sleep with. Others are just picture books that have seen better days.
Most of them have little messages from her Great Grandfathers that have passed on, other’s have little messages from her Great Grandmothers. I think that one day when she looks at them those signatures will tell her a little story too.
I’ll just say this,
I felt a little sad when I saw the story your book told. But it gave me a little to think about and as a writer moments like this are my bread and butter.That’s why I’m not going to remove or cover up the inscription after I’ve read it and added it to my library.
ps
Happy Belated Birthday
Photo A.M. Moscoso
Did you see the series about the lives of the Durrell family? Fascinating!
I actually saw a show about the Durrell family after they left Corfu. I’m going to watch the series after I read My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell. I just finished his other book Marrying off Mother and it was brilliant. Anyway, I wanted to read his stories about his family before I saw the TV series.
Thanks!! Yes, I saw the one in Corfu and after. Fascinating family. Thanks for mentioning “Marrying off Mother.” I was looking for a book by Gerald or Lawrence to read and couldn’t quite face the Alexandrian Quartet.
I loved Marrying off Mother. It’s a collection of short stories. As I read them I thought ‘ the next one can’t be this good too.’ Well guess what. They were! I did have a couple of favorites in the end though, I would recommend this book. Let me know what you think of it Judy, if you decide to read it.
I’m trying to find it as an audible version. It hasn’t been released yet but they are taking votes of people who want to order it!
Wonderful!