Maria placed the bouquet of lilies by the corner of the bridge that she had turned into a little memorial. Opening the small forget-me-not box she added another note to the growing pile of notes tied in little ribbons.
Each year she did the same thing, but each year neither made the pain easier nor took her guilt away. No day passed without her thought racing a thousand times to Lily.
Today is Lily’s birthday. She would have been 24 but she remains forever 16. Today is the 8th year that her daughter had drowned in the cold river.
Leaning on the brown cobbled wall of the old bridge, Maria allowed her salty tears to flow freely like the breeze that fluttered her hair.
She never ceased to wonder why; why she hadn’t noted that her daughter had needed help; why Lily had chosen to jump into the river.
The guilt that she had failed as a mother sat like an unwieldy boulder in her soul.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Thank you, Joy, for the photo and Priceless Joy for hosting this charming platform where we unleash our stories
a cooking pot and twisted tales 
such a sad story but so real, i can relate that sometimes i don’t know what my kids are thinking and its hard to reach out to them. beautifully written!
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It’s tough especially in the turbulent teenage years. I struggle too to understand mine now and again. Thank you for reading.
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A mother’s sorrow has no ending.
P.S. I sent to you a rough draft of what The New Writer’s Quote Challenge might look like.
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Thank you Bernadette
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Poignant. Sad. Powerful. You pack a lot of emotion in so few words, J.❤️ Loving it.
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Thank you Van. I honestly can’t imagine how parents live through such situation.
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I don’t either, and sadly, I’ve known way too many of these parents over the years. Tremendous strength and courage.
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A very heart touching story, Jacqueline! I can’t imagine the pain of losing a child by suicide or any other manner. My sister lost her youngest daughter (my niece) by suicide three years ago and she is still trying to get over it. I guess you don’t get over something like that. You just learn to live with it and go on with life.
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Wow! That’s a rough situation PJ. I can’t even imagine what your sister must be going through. Losing a child is horrendous for any parent.
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Yes, she is really grieving.
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How sad…
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A touching story. I often see flowers by bridges and roads and wonder about the stories and people behind them. Nicely done here.
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Thank you Iain. I see those a lot as well and I always wonder what the story behind it could be.
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Very sad and touching. In a crowded country like India you can’t even do that.
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Thank you Yarnspinner. I guess there ‘s far too much human traffic for such privacy.
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So heartbreaking. Death isn’t easy and death by suicide is gut wrenching. As a mom I can’t fathom losing one of my sons.
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Steph it’s a horrifying thought for any parent. I can’t even imagine.
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A hard subject to do justice with, you did well.
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Thank you Michael
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a sad yet well-written tale, Jacq!
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Thank you dear Rosema 🙂
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That is so painful. Nonetheless, you are a great wordsmith
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It is painful for a parent to bury their young.
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