Going Back In Time

Summary

The author wishes to travel back in time to cherish moments with her grandmother and support her mother's health, emphasizing the importance of valuing time with loved ones.

Abstract

The author expresses a deep longing to reconnect with her past, specifically to spend more time with her late grandmother and to be more present and health-conscious with her mother, who is battling breast cancer. Through the metaphorical lens of a time machine, she envisions joining her grandmother on morning walks, sharing coffee and conversations, and gardening together. She also imagines being a more engaged daughter, enjoying light-hearted moments in the kitchen and encouraging her mother to undergo regular health checks. The author acknowledges the impossibility of time travel but uses the concept to underscore the preciousness of time and the need to create joyful memories with family while possible.

Opinions

The author values the irreplaceable nature of time spent with family, especially in the context of loss and illness.
She believes in the power of presence and open communication, wishing to express love and share experiences with her grandmother and mother.
The author reflects on the importance of health awareness and preventive measures, particularly in the context of her mother's cancer diagnosis.
She emphasizes that cherishing moments with loved ones is crucial as they are fleeting and cannot be relived.
The author suggests that making loved ones smile and laugh is a cherished memory to hold onto after they are gone.
She appreciates the role of writing prompts in exploring personal narratives and emotions, as evidenced by her engagement with Ellie Jacobson's prompts.

I want to be a better granddaughter and daughter

I stand in front of a giant machine with the word “time machine” printed red.

I dial the number “1992” as my destination and press the big red button. I close my eyes and wait for the machine to send me back when I was a 7-year-old.

I wish I had this machine.

I wish to go back in time, not because I want to run away from adult commitments and hassles. I am fine now and love my life more than ever.

But that was when my grandmother was still around, and my mother was as healthy as a horse.

I want to go back and spend more time with my grandma and tell her I love her. I would wake up early and join her for a morning walk in nature before heading to school. We would sip coffee together in the evening, and I would tell her about my day at school. We would spend our weekends together in the garden to plant and take care of the homegrown vegetables.

I want to go back and be a better daughter. I want to go back and spend quality time with my mother and make her laugh with my silly jokes. We could spend Sunday afternoon in the kitchen making cookies and cakes and laugh at each other when we get flour smeared on our faces. I wish I could warn her about breast cancer and persuade her into getting a yearly health screen.

I would try harder to make these two incredible women proud of me. But the time machine never gets invented, at least not yet. I still have to bear the pain of losing my grandma and now, watching my mom endure the torture of cancer and being helpless while in constant pain.

We can’t go back in time, so each experience is unique and worth cherishing. Spend quality time with your loved ones, knowing that this moment will pass and you can’t get it back, no matter what. Make your loved ones smile and laugh more often because that’s what you want to remember when they are gone.

Hey there, this is another writing prompt from Ellie Jacobson ✍🏻 for Flint and Steel. I love Ellie’s writing prompts. I have written stories about lighthouses, reading and saving an abandoned draft with her prompts.