Anna Barbauld (In The Middle Of The Night)

I was messaging with my “chocolate cake delivering” cousin last evening. She’s feeling exceptionally down about her Dad and my mother. Obviously, I’m shattered about my mother and saddened about her father, too. Going back and forth helps a little bit, I suppose.

I’ve had to leave my phone on “airplane mode” overnights in recent weeks, because it was buzzing with messages and well-wishes in the middle of the U.S. night. All were well-intentioned, of course, and REALLY appreciated by me…. but just not necessarily at 3 o’clock in the morning! (European friends and relations, yes, I’m looking at you! 🙂 )

Free Stock Photo: An aisle of library books.

After a few recent overnights of quiet, I turned my phone on after waking this morning to find that at 03:36 U.S. time an Irish friend had messaged me this, by Anna Barbauld:

She’s lost both of her parents (they died within 12 months of each other, too), so if anyone understands, she does.

_____

P.S. In hono(u)r of my mother and my uncle, Passports is free to download on Kindle until November 7.

Click here if you’re interested.

They are both fictionalized in the novel(s). As we know, nothing ever seems adequate in tribute to those we’ve lost. But a tiny nod such as that seems like something at least.