20 Comments
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Tommy Swerdlow's avatar

Pretty swell my boy. I caught her all kinds of ways.

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Adam Nathan's avatar

Thanks, Tommy. Extraordinary piece of writing chez toi this week. Family Week.

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Lor's avatar

I love every Scheherazade story, it is a pleasure to read this one again, and be reminded of the intimacy and beauty you have shared . My husband’s mother’s birthday was a few days ago, he said , she would have been 96 today. I silently wondered why we continue to say; ‘she would have been’ , not needing, ‘if she had lived’ . Those that hold a special place in our hearts always remain safely tucked in with all the love and memories ,“ bound together in ribbons and bows…”

And the big question of ‘if’ still hangs there filled with wishes and dreams of what might have been, what we missed out on, if only.

Happy Birthday to your mom, Adam.

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Adam Nathan's avatar

Thank you, Lor. She died at 68, so fairly young.

I wished she’d see all her grandkids grow up. 6 of them. Nothing would have made her happier (than possibly a very good book.)

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Jeanine Kitchel's avatar

Wow.

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Kimberly Warner's avatar

I remember this one. So good.❤️

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Adam Nathan's avatar

🙏, Kimberly. I was noticing she would have been 90.

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Deirdre Lewis's avatar

Love this. Always feels like a treasure to find old letters.

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Adam Nathan's avatar

All I could think of with the fires was the catastrophic loss of pictures and letters.

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Deirdre Lewis's avatar

Oh me too! Irreplaceable! Makes me think I should at least scan some of the older ones that I have.

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Christine Stephens Tretheway's avatar

Glad you reposted...I loved reading this again! Your mother seems a force of Nature, and she clearly passed along her love of language to you. Beautiful.

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Adam Nathan's avatar

She was indeed. I was blessed with a very, to put it politely, verbal family. Out loud and on paper. I’m deeply grateful for that now.

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Helen's avatar

Loved this

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Rona Maynard's avatar

“Feel something:” A tribute to your mother, who rode a swell of feelings that she channeled into words. I love this to bits. She would too.

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Adam Nathan's avatar

Thanks, Rona. She would have printed it out and filed it under “Adam’s substack”

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Anna Schott's avatar

Beautiful

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Adam Nathan's avatar

Thanks, Anna.

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Graeme Outerbridge's avatar

St. Paul, Minnesota...so yes the water^^^^

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Graeme Outerbridge's avatar

Yep! you got it from your mother^^ I know that water my mother Roxy Shulke came from the same place^^

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E.T. Allen's avatar

Came into your comments section not knowing what I wanted to say, armed with only the words “Loved this.” Now reading the earlier comments I am not surprised to find I’m not alone.

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