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Drabble Corner

Michelle Swisz

Our theme for this month is Connection.

Making the Connection by Joanne Appleton She picked up the phone for the third time that morning, hesitating only momentarily before dialing. She knew he would answer. He had to, he must. She glanced across the room at his photograph. He looked back, unseeing. The ringing continued. How long had it been since he left? Hadn't he promised to always be there for her? Nineteen, twenty, twenty-one. How much longer until he answered the phone? The ring on her finger was proof: he was part of her, they were together for life. Beeeeeeeeep. 'The person you are trying to call is unavailable. Please try again later.'

These year-end holidays bring out both the worst and the best in us. The worst might be despair that for some reason we cannot be with all of our original family. But it is more often limited to built-up irritation, bordering on incipient temporary insanity, in reaction to one's parents' maddening tradition of using such things as food to dispute the wisdom of one's way of life. But it is the best in us that is expressed, in part, by our going on with the holiday plan anyway, in the faith that usually, family togetherness is more influential than the irritations with which our personalities present us. So, we write in our journal or trade holidays-at-home stories with our best friends, and then, usually, we recover in time to do the whole thing over again next year. And in our very best moments, it's in some way seemingly arranged that we can see, precisely in that particular instant that we're holding the disputed drumstick, the juxtaposed significance of reuniting once in awhile with the disputers.

Our theme for February: Reunions. January's theme of Fear is already set.

And here are the guidelines again, to read before writing your submission.

As always, questions and comments are most welcome. Happiest Holidays to all!

Until next time,
Michelle