Cathy Kinard

I thought about cutting some lilacs to put in my vase. They didn't bloom last year when we had them cut back. 

A few hours later I cut the few spindly blooms and placed them in my favorite vase. MillieCat stood by curiously watching. 

I placed them on the mantle between the pictures of the people I love.

Beside the Seth Thomas clock that belonged to my great grandmother Minnie Mae Burnheimer who I would never know--but her DNA would become a part of me.  She is a woman who I would never meet, yet I treasure the few pictures of her that remain.  I resemble Minnie, but not as much as her daughter---Mildred Catherine Burnheimer Fritz who would become my beloved grandmother.  As I’ve aged, I look more like her.  Perhaps someone knew I would eventually look so much like her, and decided to name me Catherine in her honor.

My grandmother would die just shy of her 70th birthday. 

I will be 69 this year.

 The clock used to have a label on the inside that said it was made about 1905...but the paper label long ago disintegrated.

The clock still works but I haven't wound it up for a while. I'm struck by the time frozen on the clock at 11:55.

Five minutes to midnight. 

A reminder to me that every day is precious because time is limited. 

These are the thoughts that I have on some days like today.

I decided to wind her up.

After all...she has survived, and she still works.

And I’ve survived too.