On Fridays around these parts we stop, drop, and write.
For fun, for love of the sound of words, for play, for delight, for joy and celebration at the art of communication.
For only five short, bold, beautiful minutes. Unscripted and unedited. We just write without worrying if it’s just right or not.
Won’t you join us?
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Most importantly: leave a comment for the person who linked up before you – encouraging them in their writing!
OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on:
Unexpected…
GO
He holds his heart as we wait at the red line in the immigrations queue. His face has a puzzled look. Passports slide back our way and we crane necks for one last look, one wave, one jump up and down and blow kisses. Then with heavy back packs we start the long journey to gate A49.
Familiar sights and sounds and tastes line the way and my tummy hurts at passing them good bye. He holds my hand and I’m all a rush and he’s all slower and slower until we’re finally stopped in front of the Kudu head and biltong stand. My eyes are set on where we need to be so it takes me by surprise when I look down and see the tears leaking slowly out of his own surprise.
He’s rubbing his chest. Rubbing it hard and bewildered and if only I could climb in and make it better.
“It hurts,” he says. “Mom, it just hurts so much.”
I can hardly stand to watch his face at it processes separation for the first time, since he’s not too toddler to care.
STOP
OK, show me what you’ve got.
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Oh my goodness!! This just reduced me to tears!!! I HATE that feeling, the rushing, the byes, the jumping up and down to have last look!!! While I cannot wait to get ‘home’ to visit in February the thought of having to leave again is almost enough to make me not go, to not have to endure that hurt and heartache any more!!!
Thank you for sharing!!!
I can only imagine, but get a sense from your writing. Where did he go?
Oh, I feel so drawn into this story. I have been that little girl, and I have comforted that little one {my 4 yr old} cousin. Brings that lump to my throat. {gulp}
…”since he’s not too toddler to care.”
words that wrapped around my heart and stuck. They are so beautifully precious, aren’t they, these little ones who grace our lives~
I know this feeling, you express it so well. Very nice story. Thanks for sharing it.
Oh Lisa-Jo. What a heartwrenching image, your little one crying at the ‘good-byes’. It is so hard. I have been there, and I have felt surprise when they have shown this at such early ages, that big heart… so poingant. Thank you, sweet friend. I love your words…
Beautiful. Our kids have a way of touching our heart. They teach us so much!
OH, I want you to finish this story!
beautiful. made me think of something i wrote the first time my oldest really felt the impact of goodbye at the airport gate.
http://therapiers.blogspot.com/2010/03/journal-entry.html
This is so, so hard. We visit the US twice a year, but it never gets any easier to see my kids cry and cling to their besties.
Amazing how well you paint that picture with five minutes of words.
That broke me down. As a Mama, I can understand feeling helpless at their sorrows. As someone who was an immigrant child, I can relate to his heartache.
What a wonderful idea the five minute write. I have several blogs I follow tht follow you and do the five minute write. I always so enjoy reading their post. Awessome writes. So I thought I need to hop on over and check you out. Lovely blog. So …. Im thinking Im going to give this five minute write a whirl. See what flows from the finger tips.
Traveling and hanging on. Hearts gathered then goodbyes.
Awwe….
Tended moments.
Have a blessed day.
Blessings
So Im thinking I may have messed up on my write. But writing this was unexpected. I just read that we were to write about the unexpected. Im thinking I should have wrote something else but it is what it is. I look forward to trying thins agian next week.
Blessings
No worries! It’s just fun to have new folks join in and spend five minutes writing with us. Here’s to many more!
What a heart wrenching story! Thank you for sharing so beautifully!
Lisa-Jo, I messed up and my first link (#150) wasn’t a link to the post. Will you delete it? Thanks!
Done
Wow, this definitely brought tears to my eyes!
Count me in as another one who *needs* to hear the rest of the story! Beautifully written and so so engaging.
Awww! That just grabs right at my heart. Good-byes are so very hard especially when there are long distances in the wake of them.
I really enjoyed your post, some of it really tearing at my heart – especially the end where he’s not too toddler to care ….. how I remember those days. I will definitely be back often to check out Five Minute Friday and more.
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