Six Traits Prompt

I stole a prompt from last Friday's Six Traits Writing Session. The presenter had us brainstorm some important words we've heard or come across that have impacted our life. I assigned this on Wednesday to my college comp class as the first essay for theme #3.

Here is what I came up with --

Kristie, my wife, stood at Barb’s counter chatting away, her hands gesturing and punctuating her story as she related it to Casey, KoKo, Matt, and Amanda. Dad sat at the table, his chair pushed back, an empty plate in front of him, and slowly drawled through an argument he was enjoying between his son-in-law, Arnie, and Arnie’s father, Bernard.

We had all gathered at Barb and Arnie’s farm, near Plummer, to celebrate her son’s graduation. Matt had just earned his B.S. degree from BSU. Oddly enough, while he graduated with his undergraduate degree, I graduated with my graduate degree in English

Earlier Dad wanted to throw me a part too, but I most certainly turned the idea down.

“But you’ve made a great accomplishment,” he told me referencing my degree and an award my thesis had earned.

But I didn’t want any recognition. That’s just not my style. It was bad enough a journalism student from BSU called to interview me and put the story in not only the Bemidji paper but two local papers as well.

I just wanted to enjoy our family being together. So I just stood back and enjoyed two master storytellers holding court while I just soaked up being part of this family. It was one of those rare instances where one feels conscious of the importance of a moment that can be savored just as it happens.

“Here you go, little brother," Barb said in her mock over-emotional tone. “I know Dad said that you didn’t want us to do anything for you, but Mom would have been so proud.”

My sister knows how, as an English teacher, I loathe Hallmark cards and their over-sentimental drivel, yet it didn’t stop her from sliding the sky blue envelop into my reluctant fist.

Smirking, I dug my index finger into the edge of the envelop and dragged it across the seal, ripping the envelop beyond all repair.

"Just like when you'd open Christmas presents," Barb added with her own smirk now.

To tell you the truth, I remember nothing of the card other than one line scrawled in Barb's looping cursive - "Congrats. Mom would have been (is) so proud of you!"

For a brief moment, imagined how Mom would have reacted to the recognition my thesis, written about her mother, received. She would have been absolutley glowing.