Contest Recap
Midlife Collage sponsors a weekly contest of midlife short stories. U.S. citizens and legal residents age 40 and older may enter. The Editor selects five stories for publication on our website each week. Readers leave comments and Facebook thumbs-up likes urging the panel of Judges to choose a contest winner. Readers also send the Judges their opinions of the best story on our Closing Arguments page. The contest period is Monday through Sunday noon PT. The first-place story enters the Winner’s Circle and receives a cash prize of $50. Winners of a $50 cash prize are eliglble for a $100 contest, which we run quarterly. See the Submissions Page for the Contest Rules for details. ANYONE, worldwide, age 18 or older can comment on the stories in a contest.-
When Ivan’s wife divorced him, she left him nothing but his recliner and a 19” TV. She forced him to move out of the big beautiful home the two of them had shared and move into a rented apartment. After working his real estate job all day, Ivan went home, sat in his recliner and watched TV until he fell asleep. He had little contact with his only son and felt as if his life was over.
I met Ivan when I was hired to work for the same real estate company. When the office manager introduced us, she said we’d be sharing the office that had formerly been his alone. Poor Ivan must have felt uprooted once again by a woman. But if he felt that way, he never let it show.
We hit it off from day one. When business was slow and it was only the two of us, sitting in the office, we had time to get acquainted. We liked each other and had a lot in common. We liked the same music, read the same books and saw the same movies. We talked about our children and their plans as well as our hopes and plans for the rest of our lives. We became good friends.
One day he said, “You know, Peggy, a young boy is taught to love his mother, his grandmother, his sisters, his aunts, and any other woman in his life that he deems lovable, but when he grows up and chooses that one special woman, he discovers abruptly that she is the only woman he is allowed to love for the rest of his life. What a contradiction!”
“I never thought about that,” I said. I’d never asked Ivan why his wife divorced him, but I suppose this remark provided a clue.
Please understand that ours was only a friendship. Ivan knew I was happily married for many years, and thankfully, my husband is not a jealous man. He was acquainted with Ivan, too, and understood our friendship.
However, as all things, good and bad, eventually come to a grinding halt, so did this enjoyable time of my life. Because it was a challenging time for my family, I was needed at home and therefore, quit my job. Ivan and I stayed in touch. A year or so later, finding that he could no longer survive in the real estate business, Ivan took a job in another state and moved away. But our friendship continued by telephone and letters. It was before the days when everyone had a PC, before email, Facebook and Twitter.
Ivan wasn’t a big letter writer, but he sent cards for every occasion and sometimes, for no occasion other than he was thinking about me. He scribbled notes on the cards. He loved getting my letters. He wrote, “Please keep writing. You write such nice letters.”
The last phone call from him came in June. He said he’d been in the hospital; he’d had a stroke, but was much better. He told me to take good care of myself because what he’d been through wasn’t much fun. I sensed his deep sadness.
“I will,” I promised.
Then the cards stopped. Some instinct told me Ivan had passed away. So, I searched my cards from him. The last one had come on my birthday. On it, he’d scrawled:
“Good Morning, Peggy. Thank you for always remembering me. I think of you often because I know how special you are. I remember the first time I saw you, and the last. I felt a connection of some sort. Please stay in touch. Getting a letter from you makes my day. Love, Ivan.”
Ivan will remain in my heart forever.
I love this piece! What an interesting relationship this was. I’d really like to know why Ivan divorced, but that’s not really the point, is it? Well done, Peggy!
This is a very poignant piece. You introduced him quite well by showing the reader his singlemess. You had me believing he was falling in love with you, but as I read further I realized how genuinely fond of you he was, and that a healthy, plutonic relationship had emerged. Thanks for sharing this story of your life, and his, though cut short. How wonderful to have his words written on those cards. Keep writing!
Excellent story that vividly illustrates a life-long path of friendship.
Great story about an unusual friendship.
This was an excellent story. I loved it.
I like this story. Good friends like that are hard to come by.
True friends are a blessing. Some people go through life and never find what you found. Ble
Wow! Awesome story telling of a truly endearing friendship! You were both very fortunate to have each other, if only for a short time. We should all be so lucky!
Thank you for sharing your story. Sometimes we form bonds with certain people that cross our path in life that only need to make sense to those two people.
This guy could be me. Except I didn’t die yet. My wife wiped me out to. I fell sorry for the dude. Glad he had a friend like you.
Excellent story. A little sad, but wonderful just the same. Nicely written.
This story touches the heart. I really like it. Nice job!
What a nice friendship this was! You were both lucky to have each other, even if only for a short while. You were lucky to have an understanding husband too.
This was a great piece!
This is great!!
Awesome!!!!!!
Such a great piece!!!!!
This is a beautiful story about a lovely friendship. Everyone should experience one just like it. Nicely done!
Peggy, this is a very touching story. You and Ivan had something not many have. Too bad his life was cut short. Bless you for being his friend.
Peggy, I like your story. I heard that friend is like four leaves clower, hard to find and lucky to have. It is sad that Ivan became sick.
Peggy, This is the first time I’ve rated a vignette as “excellent.” Your essay reminds me someone in my life. No one can replace people like this.
This is a great story, Peg. That your husband was so understanding about your friendship with Ivan is really surprising. Not many men would be.
I often like to walk by Lake Huron looking for “heart shaped rocks.” As I read your piece it made me think of our walk in life and how those precious few times in which we make “real” friends leave imprints on our hearts that no or anything can take away. Peg, your story was lovely and true tribute to Ivan. I am sure he felt the same about you!
Mary Jane Lopez
I loved this story. It is written from the heart and speaks to the importance of being kind and caring. You obviously were very important to your friend. Your writing carries your friendship forward to all the readers of your story. Thank you for your little gem.
Love. So sweet.
Everyone should have a good friend to count on when things are going bad. You were that friend to Ivan Peggy. What a great story!