Although impoverished Jeff found a ride out of Blislisnis to attend his mother’s funeral held in the rural town that he left decades ago teased by vanity that never bore fruit. A former classmate carrying an oxygen tank with nasal tubing who came to offer his condolences surprised Jeff with how old he himself must now look as did other former companions who proudly told him of their grandchildren.
The pastor asked him if he would care to say a few words in memory of his mother. Standing near the casket with nothing to say he tried to form words, but the only thing people remembered him saying was I’m sorry, momma.
Friends of his mother offered Jeff a place to stay with work to do giving this prodigal son an opportunity, which he accepted, to forget Blislisnis. At the gravesite he silently prayed for the privilege of a few years of usefulness, of blessing not burden to others, before finding a spot of his own somewhere in that churchyard, out of the way perhaps, but hopefully not too far away from his family.
______
Denise offers the prompt word “form” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.

Great continuation from last week’s story, and well written. Jeff certainly has a lot to reflect on.
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Jeff found his way home. Thank you, Nicole!
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Beautiful story Frank
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Thank you, Sadje!
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You’re welcome Frank
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That’s a lovely story, Frank. Very well done
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Thank you, Dan!
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How can you get all those emotions and word pictures into 6 sentences?!!!
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I am glad you liked them, Rebecca! I pray that I don’t harm others with what I have to say and then I rewrite and rewrite.
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Your pridigal son story also reminds me a of pilgrims progress. I love reading these. My stories are disjointed. I know God has a purpose i cannot yet see, and perhaps never will while I am here, which has to be okay with me.
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Now that you mention it, it is like Pilgrim’s Progress, even C.S. Lewis’s Pilgrim’s Regress. It is comforting to know God has a purpose for all of us. Thank you, Mary!
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Very well done brother. Jeff found his way home and his way out. Blessings for bringing this our way.
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Thank you, Michael! Jeff did find his way home.
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At the top of your form, Frank (no pun intended). Your visible growth as a writer is a joy to see.
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I am glad you liked this. Thank you, Doug!
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Perhaps, this is called ‘going back to roots’. Fortunately, he has a few familiar faces around. It’s not the case in many places – rural or urban.
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The funeral brought people he knew together, but the town may well have changed over the time he was gone. Thank you, Reena!
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We often discount this factor in nostalgia – people and places change.
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As painful and as comforting a homecoming can be.
Captured it all. Well done, Frank.
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Thank you, Nick!
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nicely crafted Six, Frank
(liked: “…surprised Jeff with how old he himself must now look” ain’t it true (for many of us?))
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We all think we’re twenty years old. Thank you, Clark!
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And all in six sentences! Masterfully done, Frank. “Teased by vanity that never bore fruit” — Now that’s a loaded clause, and all the more intriguing for it.
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I am glad you liked this. Thank you, Dora!
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Sometimes you really need to go home again.
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For Jeff he should have gone home long ago. Thank you, Mimi!
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The picture is beautiful, Frank and compliments your story very nicely.
What a tender, and poignant homecoming (I swear I didn’t read Nick’s comment first!, lol).
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Thank you, Denise! I am glad you liked the story.
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The prodigal son finally came home.
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He did and he was glad he did. Thank you, Bernadette!
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Ouch! The pain of regret. Well done, Frank.
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Thank you, Mark! Pain can cause regret and then gratitude for what lies ahead.
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IN heaven I can’t wait to find so many who turned around for Jesus
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May we all turn around for Jesus! Thank you, Jim!
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YW
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Beautiful, Frank, and what we all wish for.
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Thank you, Chel! Ultimately it is what we all wish for.
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