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Now Is All We Really Ever Have

So why not do something beautiful with it?

John P. Weiss
12 min readDec 11, 2024
Photos by John P. Weiss

The old man had cleaned the house, put all his affairs in order, and sat down with his fountain pen and paper to leave a note for his only daughter, Sophie.

He gazed at the framed photos on his writing desk.

Photos of his beloved wife, Emma, and Sophie. The years together were full of family vacations, birthdays, holidays, school, work, and all the golden moments.

In a blink, Sophie was off to university and then launched into her digital marketing career. The startup company she worked for grew, and relocated to Texas.

“Don’t worry, Dad, I’ll fly out and visit often,” Sophie said. But then she met a young man named Douglas, and her visits lessened.

Until Emma got sick.

Sophie and Douglas visited frequently and did their best to help. But then Emma needed hospice and in the end, it was mostly the nurses helping him make Emma comfortable.

The funeral was sparsely attended, but when you’re old, that’s common. Because you’ve outlived most of your family and friends. Sophie suggested he sell the house and move to Texas, where she and Douglas could look after him.

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John P. Weiss
John P. Weiss

Written by John P. Weiss

I write elegant stories and essays about life, often illustrated with my classic black & white photography. www.johnpweiss.com

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