Mom always hated grandma’s house.
She complained constantly. “It’s like living in a funeral parlor. Flowers everywhere and all that ridiculously ugly gold crap. Hideous!”
Thankfully. Gran refused to change a thing.
Everything was old and kinda tacky but real. That’s what made it special. Her too. She was my safe place. A counter to mom’s incessant need to keep up with whatever was trending while claiming she was “keeping it real.”
So when I came home and found her cradling gran’s favorite gilded roses to her chest. I knew. I’d be keeping it real now. Like it or not.
Written for Friday Fictioners. Thanks for the photo Rochelle.
Get more info and link to other Friday Fictioner stories here.
Tina Stewart Brakebill 
A shame her mum only realised what she would miss when it was gone. Nice one.
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Yep. We do that. 😐
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So she did learn in the end
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Maybe 😐
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There is such sadness in this piece. Sometimes you don’t know how special someone is till they are gone. A well-constructed piece.
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Thank you. 😊
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Not appreciating what we have right there in front of us is so sad. Once it is gone there is no more opportunity. Hopefully a lesson has been recognized.
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So true!
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You never know what you’ve got… nicely done.
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Thanks 🙏
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The heartfelt ending was very sweet. Enjoyed this little tale.
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😊 thanks 🙏
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A lovely story. So often grandkids and grandparents get along better than kids and parents.
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So true! And thanks for your kind words.
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Grandmother and mother usually cannot get along. If one wants artificial flower other will look for real one.
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😀
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I hope the granddaughter is able to keep her focus on the real rather than the trending, even now that her grandmother has died.
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Me too.
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So much emotion in these three generations. Beautiful little story, nicely told.
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Thanks 🙏😊
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in the words of Joni Mitchel, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone…
Lovely heartfelt piece
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🙏 thanks
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I sense Mom was a little jealous of the daughter/grandma relationship. Beautifully written Tina.
Click to read my FriFic tale!
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Absolutely! (And thanks 🙏)
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From this I sensed that as she grew her attitude changed, as we all do.
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Hopefully for the better!
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Beautifully done, Tina. The classic case. Hopefully the daughter will teach her mother what is real…
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Yep 😉
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I’m not so sure mom learned a lesson of value as much as she had to cling on to something. Taking up the mantle still passes her by.
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I think you’re right 😗
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“Keeping it real” Sometimes I think we only fool ourselves when saying that.
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For sure!
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