The Haunting of Brynn Wilder

by Wendy Webb

Everyone is haunted by something. A road not taken. A hurt, carried deep inside. Harsh words that echo long after the sting of them is carried away on the wind.

A century of souls inhabiting a place will leave an imprint that lingers long after they’re gone,

Reading for pleasure with nothing more important to do. What a delicious idea.

“You are an extraordinary woman,” he said. “You have lived an extraordinary life. You have raised a wonderful family together with your husband of a million years. Such a marriage you’ve had. We’re all envious of it. You have so much to be proud of. To look back on. You will live on in your son and daughter and their children if they ever get busy and get on with their lives. You will not be forgotten.” My mother managed a smile and a nod. “Be at peace, wonderful lady,” he said. “You will leave this earth better than you found it. That is all any of us can ask.”

“It stands to reason, if stress and sadness take it away, laughter can give it back.”

People get so caught up in themselves and their dramas, or they get ensnared in their own sorrows and tragedies, they forget to appreciate the beauty around them.”

“I think a person’s past, good or bad, idyllic or horrific, shapes who they are,” I said. “But I don’t believe it defines them.”