Your stories belong here.
A PLACE WE SHARE
Sixteen family occasions, told in sixty-four personal stories. A little different through every pair of eyes.
Family circleDad started telling a story I'd heard before, then added a part that was new. I asked him to save it here. I don't want all the best stories to depend on someone remembering to ask.
Family circleI thought I had the winning move. My sister had been quietly planning something better for several turns. I have agreed to call it a learning experience.
Family circleI was in charge of the playlist, subject to a complicated family voting system. The drive had old songs, new songs and one repeat request that nobody would admit making.
Family circleI handled the pasta, my sister handled everything decorative. We rehearsed serving the plates. I only spilled a little sauce, and everyone politely pretended not to notice.
Family circleMy hands shook during the first few bars. Then I found the rhythm I'd practised, and the room got smaller. Finishing felt better than playing it perfectly.
Family circleI made the thickest cookies on the tray and claimed that was intentional. Mom helped me roll the next batch thinner. My sister kept the score, as usual.
Family circleI asked what she was most proud of, and she talked about helping someone else finish a project. That sounded exactly like her. We kept the report with her artwork so the year had more than one kind of memory.
Family circleShe gave me a tiny room and asked what it was missing. I said a guitar, so she made one from a scrap of card. That is the detail I look for whenever we open this photograph together.
Family circleMom had stories for streets that looked ordinary to me at first. By the end of the walk, I could picture her being my age here. That made the trip feel bigger than a holiday.
Family circleShe asked me to hold one flower while the glue dried. I thought it would take a moment, but she had very precise instructions. Helping with one little stem made me feel part of her whole garden.
Family circleI was proud of the things that had become easier since September. There were still things to practise, too. The part I wanted to keep was knowing my family noticed how hard I had tried that year.
Family circleI painted the field the way I remembered it, with more green than would fit on the page. Mixing the brown paint was my favourite part. I was nine and wanted to give every player a place.