love, beauty, sparkly song, shattering, joy

June 23, 2023 5:47 PM

"Edie tilted her head to listen. It was catchy, full of bouncy rhythms. It made Edie think of sparkly outfits and dancing.....The name of the singer had been said so quickly, and besides that, all musicians gave themselves funny names. They’d done that even when Edie was young." In the short science fiction story "Always and Forever, Only You" by Iona Datt Sharma (previously on MetaFilter), a woman in "what the Sunshine Care Home called Independent Sheltered Living" experiences joy, heartbreak, and togetherness.
posted by brainwane (4 comments total)

I enjoyed reading this sweet story, and appreciated that the protagonist (and her wealthy acquaintance) weren't just portrayed as kindly old sugarplums. I still remember the people in the nursing home calling my mother by her first name instead of The Reverend Doctor Mrs. [Second Husband's Last Name] because it's so easy to think of old people as sweet biddies (or cantankerous but trivial) kindly old farts.

My favorite story about elderly people is Memento Mori by Muriel Spark. Murder, infidelity, backbiting, and a marvelous time.
posted by Peach at 5:28 AM on June 24, 2023 [2 favorites]

Truly lovely story. Thank you for sharing it!
posted by Ann Telope at 12:42 PM on June 24, 2023 [2 favorites]

Oh MY. That was just exquisite.

I love the clear, delicate descriptions of all the things she feels, and the slightly faded memories. (Even though "Edie remembered those times with sunlit clarity," they take on a lightly sepia tone as I read them.)

I just loved the whole thing. Especially the ending.

brainwane, you share the best things! Thank you so much for posting this!
posted by kristi at 9:24 PM on June 28, 2023 [1 favorite]

(Also, having just clicked your "previously" link, I love the strings of nouns you chose for titles.)
posted by kristi at 9:26 PM on June 28, 2023 [1 favorite]