23 Comments

Wonderful story Amanda. Such a massive subject explored in such a tiny form. Very impressive and the ending stays, long after the story ends.

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Thanks so much, Margaret 😊💙

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Agreed

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Amanda, your story sings with poetry. You've inspired me to research death rituals in Patagonia... why Patagonia? I have no idea. Perhaps because the name of that country sings to me of itself.

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Thank you for your lovely comment about my story! It made my day to hear it described like that. And let me know what comes of your Patagonia research!

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Such a beautiful story!

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Thanks Fran 💙

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So creative! 💚

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Thanks Don! 💙

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That's beautifully written and moving, Amanda. It reminded of a movie I've seen only a few days ago: All of Us Strangers. In my last essay I try to remind the reader that the dead are still here with us. Those rituals you mention are so important. Everyone should have their own! I regularly speak to the dead during my meditation. I have come to understand that some of them are my guides. I get invaluable insights and support from them. Thank you for this awesome essay.

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Thanks Alo. I’ll seek that film out. I feel like my dead loved ones come to me sometimes when something pops into my head that they said or did. That I need to remember that right then for a reason.

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Wow, what a story, Amanda! Surprise after surprise ... from the shock of the first line to the beauty of the last.

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Thanks Jeanne! 😊💙

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Amanda, thank you for this lovely story - I was totally caught up with it! I love the details such as her sparkly shoes and the emotion you evoke is searing. It's still swirling around my mind. xx

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Thanks so much, Anna! So glad you enjoyed it 💙

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Amanda, beautiful! I appreciate your sharing the inspiration behind it, too. What a fascinating prompt.

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Thanks Paulette. I’m glad you enjoyed it. It’s one of my favourites 😊

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What a gorgeous story Amanda. Thank you for sharing. Flash fiction is one genre that I’m very interested in exploring. I mostly write longer stories. What’s a good starting point do you think?

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Thanks Olu. I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it. If you want to write flash, I’d start with reading a lot of them. There are tons of online flash magazines. Some great ones that I enjoy are Smokelong Quarterly, Ellipsis Zine (no longer publishing but has a huge archive), Cheap Pop, CRAFT Literary, and New Flash Fiction Review. @kathyfish also publishes a great Substack called The Art of Flash Fiction which is a brilliant resource. Plus Wigleaf publish their famous Top 50 list every year and there are many years to browse through. And finally, I publish flash at WestWord and also run courses in writing flash! 😊

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Thanks for this. I’ve got some great reading ahead of me ☺️

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You have indeed!

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An amazing story that touched me deeply. My husband passed almost a year ago. I channel him and write down what he tells me. He has evolved since his passing. I’m sure there is a story there. You have inspired me, Amanda.

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Hi Lauren, I’m so sorry for your loss of your husband. Amazing that you still have that connection. I’m so glad my story touched and inspired you 💙

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