Saying Goodbye When You Die

Write Down the Bones Deck to Free the Writer Within — This is my wish for you: that you take these cards, grab the topic on one side and write, write, write. Then flip to the other side of the card and take note.

I’ve always used the word topic instead of prompt. Prompt is the starting place, but topic indicates more the idea of plunging in and immersing. Natalie Goldberg

My Poem for today fits today’s prompt… Saying goodbye to all of the togetherness of family time.

January 4, 2025

A family gathering coming in January

A get-together to celebrate family

My children

Grandchildren

Great-grandchildren

will be there and all told

a gathering of young and old

Fun, laughter, and some cold

Food and drink, nothing bold

The white elephant is fun for all

I know we will have a ball

I love family and so much to recall!

Natalie Goldberg’s Write Down the Bones Deck to Free the Writer Within — What will you have to say goodbye to when you die?

Family will be the toughest. Dying is not the roughest. I’m okay with dying. No fears, no regrets, and I’m not lying. It is leaving loved ones behind. Like I think how loved ones have left me in my mind.

Aside from that, I won’t regret leaving behind material possessions. As I have always been told, you can’t take it with you. I say goodbye to my writing and my work.

I will say goodbye to my good friends and wish them the very best. I want friends to remember me at my best and to remember the fun we had together.

Natalie Goldberg’s Write Down the Bones Deck to Free the Writer Within — You might never have thought about this before. Who me — die? I don’t mean to get maudlin, but we want our writing to be whole and rich, not turn our back on anything. As my father said about death, “No one gets out of it.“ If there is an area we avoid, it limits our writing.

Go ahead. Give it a try. It’s enormous what we leave behind. You won’t be able to cover it all in one writing. As with all the topics, you can come back to it over and over. Don’t forget the fire hydrant, popsicles, shoes, toes, knuckles, the memory of roses, and even the Pacific Ocean

Fire hydrant, in the summer when they are left open in the city and we played around them. Popsicles - The Johnny Pops that I saved the sticks from and now have 2 sweatshirts, 2 water bottles, and a gift of a dog toy for a grandson's puppy.

Then being a shoe person, thanks to my mother. I am probably down to about 25 pairs now. I hope to narrow it down to about 5 by the time I am ready to leave. Toes — my big toes are starting to have neuropathy. Not fun. My knuckles are still good for a punch if needed. Hope to never need to.

Roses — One of my best friends is Rose, my favorite ever cat was named Rosie, and my favorite flower is the Rose. The beauty of the flower to look at, and the scent of the rose is the best. The Pacific Ocean and any ocean is so great to see. Really any sea, lake, river, or stream is great!

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First published by Mercury Press on medium.com