Like any Sunday last Sunday was a day when I took myself out of the house and down to the coast.
It’s a comforting thing as my life is very hectic and a Sunday at the beach and wandering the rock platform below the Point Lighthouse is just the thing.
But this Sunday there was something different a sense within me that all was not well.
I heard the beep on my phone and looked down to see a message from Darcy. Darcy is my long time girlfriend and like me a keen blogger. Her message confirmed my feelings of ill ease.
Our good friend and fellow blogger Barbara had passed away earlier in the morning.
I sat below the lighthouse and remembered the times I had been in contact with her. She had thanked me once for bringing new participants to her writing challenge. I didn’t know I had but it was nice to know she noticed such things. A few times she had asked me if I thought the prompts were too hard. From my perspective they could never be too hard.
I know she liked to be reassured that everything as well with the prompt that people were responding as they felt fit, some weeks more than others, but that was the nature of such challenges.
I realised a part of my week and life was now gone, one I enjoyed participating in.
Around me seagulls did what seagulls do, make noise and fly, sit and wait in hope of food.
One such gull sat near to me, looked at me as if about to ask a question or was it the start of something it wanted me to finish…..
Thank you Barbara for all the fun you allowed me to have participating in ‘Mondays Finish The Story’.
Written for: https://flashfictionforaspiringwriters.wordpress.com/2015/11/27/special-challenge-in-memory-of-barbara-beacham/
Morpethroad 
What a lovely tribute to Barbara. Nice use if the picture prompt.
Thank you so much Miss ABC
Unfortunately, I never got to her challenges but would like to add my condolences to her husband, family and friends.
Your tribute write is touching.
R. I. P. 🙏
Thank you for passing on your condolences.
A lovely tribute to Barbara. I’ll miss her too. 😦
Thank you so much.
I didn’t know Barbara well but I was sad to learn she had passed. Although I didn’t get to participate much, Mondays Finish the Story was one I always checked. I hope perhaps that someone else takes up the mantle in her honour.
A lovely tribute to a lovely lady Michael x
Thanks Juls she was a special person, always took the trouble to comment on everyone who took part in the challenges. Thanks so much for stopping by..
A beautiful tribute and how life continues, when those who have been loved are lost. As the sea gull, she now has her wings. R.I.P Barbara, my sincere condolences to her family. ❤️🌹❤️
Thank you Jenny glad you could stop by.
You’re welcome ☺️
I didn’t know Barbara, but she sounds like a very special person whotouched a lot of people. Lovely tribute to your friend, Michael.
Thank you Mandy as always your supportive comments are much appreciated 😀
Barbara would respond how honoured she felt by your tribute. And thank you for doing so.
Thank you my friend for stopping by….
This is a beautiful tribute to Barbara, Michael. I’m sure she would be very pleased.
Thank you Joy, is it worth sending a link to her family to see what we have done?
I have no idea how to contact her husband. He has asked us not to respond to the email he sent because he won’t be checking it. I would love to be able to show him what we have done, but I don’t think we can. If you have any ideas, I would love to hear it.
Michael, You did a beautiful tribute to Barbara, your friend. We will all miss her. I had only known her for a year but her sunshine comments will be very missed by us all. 🙂
Yes Susan exactly we will all miss her….thank you for your kind comment…
Lovely tribute … Well written.
Thank you so much, have a good weekend…
A very well written tribute.
Thank you so much Angie…
A wonderful tribute
Thank you so much.
An exquisite tribute, Michael–I’m not sure I ever wrote for her prompt, as I didn’t know her like you and the others did. You wrote this from your sensitive heart–so lovely and well done. She must be smiling on you.
Just wrote it as I remembered her J. She was a lovely lady…
I can tell she was 🙂 Hey, I meant to ask, how is your friend faring, who had surgery recently??
She is coming on well thank you…..all her bits are slowly repairing….
Michael, I took your advice and wrote an email to Paul (Barbara’s husband). I sent him a link to the grid where the stories are in memory of Barbara. I had to send it to Barb’s email address because I do not have Paul’s and I don’t know for sure if he will get it or not. I just wanted to let you know.
Thanks joy I am sure he and the family would appreciate the acknowledgment from us all
The more I thought about it the more I knew you were right and then I thought, well, he may never see it but I will send it anyway. Thank you for the suggestion Michael.
You are most welcome lets hope the family get to see how much Barbara was loved by all of us…..
I hope they do too Michael.