Writerly Wednesday – Life is Too Short

I stood on tiptoe but my grip slipped and the shoe-box toppled forward, the lid fell to the side, and the box landed upside down on the floor.

“Aargh!” I cried. Clearing out my estranged brother’s apartment was time consuming and I wanted to be there about as much as I wanted a hole in the head. It had been twenty years since I’d seen or spoken to him, but as his next of kin, here I was.

I sat down on the carpeted floor and flipped the box over. I began sifting through the old photographs. While some were unfamiliar, many evoked memories of happier times. My heart filled with so many emotions as I studied each picture and laid it gently back inside the box.

“I thought we’d have more time to make amends. Life really is too short,” I whispered as a tear rolled down my cheek.