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Jan Needs Me Now!

Estimated reading time: 14 minutes, 3 seconds
Jan with Comfort Dog

Jan with Comfort Dog

Mourning

Standing before the mirror, I struggled to knot my tie. I had never had a problem, but now, each time I tried, it appeared as if it was wrong and about to unravel. Unknotting the tie, I sighed and started over one my time when I heard Sam’s voice asking if I needed help. “I can’t get my tie correct.” I sighed.

“Let me do it. Jack has the same problem.”

Sam quickly knotted my tie.

“It looks great! If I had to wear a tie daily, I would have you do it.”

Sam smiled.

“You know this is the suit, shirt, and tie I will wear when my time comes.”

“Don’t say that, especially today when we bury Jan, the love of your life.”

I took off my glasses and wiped my eyes which were tearing up.

“Dad, I want to say something while we wait for Jack and Janice.”

I nodded and sat on the loveseat. 

“I know I was unhappy when you volunteered to help Jan, especially when she needed hospice.”

I nodded.

“I was wrong to question your decision. You loved Jan for forty years after she left you. Your love was what she needed, and you gave it despite the pain you suffered. You always told me love never dies. You proved it with your support of Jan. I am so proud of you!”

My lips shook so much I could not speak.

“But Jan never said she loved me.”

“Dad, it does not matter. I know she loved you even if she never said it. I could see it in her eyes. Your love for her was all she needed.”

“We had better leave now if we are going to get to the funeral home in time,” Jack interrupted.

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Absolution: A Novel

Read: November 2023

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Absolution: A Novel

by Alice McDermott

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The Jan Lilien Education Fund sponsors ongoing sustainability and environmental awareness programs. Gifts made this month; I will match dollar-for-dollar. All donations are tax-deductible.

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Where Reasons End

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When you purchase a book through one of my links, I earn a small commission that helps support my passion for reading. This contribution allows me to buy even more books to share with you, creating an incredible cycle of discovering great reads together! Your support truly makes a difference!

Enjoy a limited-time offer of 20% off your next book purchase at Bookshop.org!

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The Jan Lilien Education Fund sponsors ongoing sustainability and environmental awareness programs. Gifts made this month; I will match dollar-for-dollar. All donations are tax-deductible.

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Dream Count: A Novel

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When you purchase a book through one of my links, I earn a small commission that helps support my passion for reading. This contribution allows me to buy even more books to share with you, creating an incredible cycle of discovering great reads together! Your support truly makes a difference!

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Everything’s Fine

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The Jan Lilien Education Fund sponsors ongoing sustainability and environmental awareness programs. Gifts made this month; I will match dollar-for-dollar. All donations are tax-deductible.

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Read: August 2022

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Thrust: A Novel

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The full GoodReads summary provides an overview of this book published on June 28, 2022,

Lidia Yuknavitch has an unmatched gift for capturing stories of people on the margins–vulnerable humans leading lives of challenge and transcendence. Now, Yuknavitch offers an imaginative masterpiece: the story of Laisve, a motherless girl from the late 21st century who is learning her power as a carrier, a person who can harness the power of meaningful objects to carry her through time.

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The Jan Lilien Education Fund sponsors ongoing sustainability and environmental awareness programs. Gifts made this month are matched dollar-for-dollar. All donations are tax-deductible.

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