Inspired by Charli Mill’s Carrot Ranch, #99WordStories
from her May 9, 2022, prompt:
In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story creating a mom selfie.
Shirley, the daughter of an unfavored marriage between her Danish mother and Italian father, met, loved, and married a gentle man.
With her mom shunned by her own family, Shirley moved on.
She wanted college, but life’s immediacies drove elsewhere. Instead, she joined the biggest department store in town and soon rose to the second most senior role of assistant manager.
Everyone knew and loved her as friendly, hard-working, and driven to help others. Despite diseases and crises, her family thrived.
Shirley’s children knew almost nothing of their grandmother’s disfavored marriage.
Unnourished, this root of racism withered and died.

Yes! Wonderful story Gary!! 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lovely story. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all types of racism withered and died.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Hi Janis.
It would be, but we’ll only see that in heaven I fear.
Thanks for reading my story and for letting me know.
Blessings 🙌
LikeLiked by 2 people
yep, now that works for me, Gary. Nice!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey Geoff,
She was a special cut of womanhood and the older I get the more I realize how blessed we were to have her.
Thanks for giving this a read.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice one Gary if only life was like that 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Willow.
She was far from perfect, but she nailed this point.
Thanks for giving my story a read 😃
LikeLike
Thank you Gary I enjoyed it 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey / the ending really weighed this with some beauty and Shirley sounds awesome
It my favorite line was
“Shirley moved on.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great work on this piece of flash, Gary. That last line is a killer and made me smile. It just proves that if we let go of parts of our past, those memories will die (but only if we allow them to die).
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Hugh.
She was a gem 💎
My sisters & I were fortunate to have her protecting and raising us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nicely done Gary! That last line is a beauty 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Debbie
Thanks for giving it a read.
The older I get, the more I appreciate everything she did for us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOVE this one Gary…so true!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Spoken like a peer high-quality mom 👩
My sister’s and I were fortunate to have her.
LikeLike
If only all racism could do the same. This sounds like it was based on a true story, especially from reading your comments. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh yes, this story is true.
My sisters & I were blessed with an extraordinary mom.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad she moved on. that must have been difficult.
LikeLike