“In the Blink of an Eye”

“In the Blink of an Eye”

One day I am running up the stairs to sit in the back-porch sun while my dad is drinking his coffee~

I giggle with my friend as we try new hair styles~

Dick’s Drive-In and Friday night hamburgers—weekly teenage social events~

One day my babies are bringing their friends to family parties and picnics~

I mark “Taller than Mom” milestones on the wall~

Cousins are excited bridesmaids in my daughter’s wedding~

Once, summers are long and satisfying with time on beaches and thriving grandchildren~

Then, my dear husband passes, and “solitary” comes to stay~

Work life closes.

“Now” means more time, new fears, loss, and comforting solace in laughter~

It happens…in the blink of an eye.

Gretchen Murphy is a Washington resident who grew up and raised her family in the Seattle area, teaching for many years at the University of Washington.

SHARING STORIES is a weekly column for and about the 50 plus crowd living in the Puget Sound region. Send your stories and photos to ariele@comcast.net. Tell local or personal stories; discuss concerns around aging and other issues; share solutions, good luck, and reasons to celebrate; poems are fine too. Pieces may be edited or excerpted. We reserve the right to select among pieces. Photos are always a plus and a one-sentence bio is requested (where you live, maybe age or career, retired status, etc.).

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