All Comments on 'Alone for the Holidays'

I could see this becoming extended and turning into a very compelling novella. I think readers would be interested to hear more about his widow's life, without emphasizing the sad last few months. Good luck in the contest!

Again, a terrific wordplay, and yet another offering from you that just rips those emotions from the reader.

Art imitating life, superbly so. Showing the humanity of how people go through life, make mistakes, pay for them one way or another, search their souls, and reconcile their being.

FINE!

cheers DG.

Another great story by you. You were able to capture the narrator's humanity and vulnerability. Thanks.

Boyd

That touched me, really. Just thinking about how one mistake can carry on for a lifetime, my eyes are brimming. Maybe it's the wine, or not, but i enjoyed your story immensely.

The way you write, managing to drag emotions out of yourself that drags it out of us too is fantastic. You are a writer of quality and substance. And I love reading your stories.

of course, we have come to expect no less. keep up the good work, a fan always.

Fantastic! nuff said.

an avid reader of your story

great story

The story was great,Once I started reading it I could not stop. It's nice to read a gripping story that makes you stop and take a look at life.

Great work

This was pretty good. I mean it had all the realism of a real story and it seemed like you could see the character sitting there the whole time as he played back his thoughts.

It also does something else. You showed in this story that "sometimes" good intentions and even possibly remorsefulness may not be enough to balance out the concequences of having an affair. Almost every story I've read has the person after the affair saying something along the lines of a quick "I'm sorry". Then the mate takes them back no questions asked, because since they said they were sorry, that's all it took to heal all the hurt of an affair. That seems way to unrealistic, to me if you care enough to get mad, upset, and possibly cry over the pain, the next day your not going to act like nothing happened or inside of a couple weeks get totally over it and act like nothing happened. And stories like that only shows that all the author wanted to do was quickly get them back together before the story ended.

But in this story, I liked the fact you showed that the husband continued trying to get back on the straight and narrow and made it a point to make sure his wife knew that he took it serious enough to never do it again. Even though it it didn't seem to pay off, he never stopped trying and didn't use that as an excuse to have another affair. To me that seemed like it was a good element you used and showed someone truely sorry and willing to do whatever it took to atone for what they did to the other person.

Very good story, very believable, and very very good crafting of a good tale.

I think you have been reading my mail. This is the story of my life except for the sister. And I don't like Jim Beam. I am a Bacardi person and I keep my guns locked in my safe. I cry a lot but there is no sister coming to my rescue. Oh, well keep the stories coming.

I'm not ashamed to admit this made me a bit teary. I know the feeling of having a loving spouse pass away. I really don't think that anyone can understand the pain who hasn't been through that trauma. Your story brought back some painful but loving memories. Thank you. We never really know what we have until we lose it.

I had a hell of a time reading towards the end, I was crying so much. I hope I read it all. I don't dare try again. My wife's a cancer survivor.

Thanks for what I was able to read.

Phil

My wife passed away this past summer. This will be my first Christmas without her in 36 years. I'm not ready for the Jim Beam and gun, but can really understand the feeling.Thank you for a "real" story.

You do write so very well. This story on it’s own is great and I’m afraid, like I see from some others, has a personal meaning. I’m afraid almost George’s entire story is exactly like my own. This is so surreal as I’m facing the fact this is my wife of 39 years last Christmas with us her family. I hope next Christmas I’m able to be among friends and I don’t mean Jim Beam. I haven’t divulged this much of my personal self before.

I truly mean, thank you for the good but haunting story.

The best stories here are the ones where the writer holds nothing back. This story falls into that category. They are an emotional roller coaster to read and I know from personal experience that they are even more painful to write. Thanks for sharing this.

I lost my wife of 44 years earlier this year. Your story hit unbelievably close to home with the exception of the caring sister. Christmas is going to be a little bleak this year. Thanks for the story.

Tears from more than your character. Beautiful writing. Thanks.

what was not addressed is WHY she turned cold before his affair. i dont see any reason for it, lowest i have rated any of your stories sorry but keep writing.

This story brought tears to my eyes. I truly loved it.

Ngj

I often get distracted on this site, browsing for a "fix" and ending up more interested in the stories that are told. This is one of the best. Unlike others, it doesn't mirror my personal experience, I hope that is always true because I am young and who knows? Losing my wife, while it is something half of every relationship must go through, scares the shit out of me. Thankyou for the brilliant story.

This story really hit close to home. I have lost two wives to cancer. each one after 20+ years. I am married again to a woman who has lost two spouses to cancer each after 20+ years. We say live each day with your spouse as if it will be the last.

I really enjoy your writings.Keep it up.

THANK YOU!!!!

The death of Sophie touched me really deep in the heart i lost my dad 4 and half years ago and my mom and i still wish he was with us he was 79 when he passed away DG I wished you had more chapters to this story with more of George and Helen i would love to know how George and Helen made it through the Christmas Holidays?

Pat

this one touched my heart. I've been there and come that close.

I wonder how you would have handled the end of the story if he had not remembered and hidden the gun?

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<I>-- srgeek --</I>

This was amazing, not personal to me, I'm still young, but I shed tears. Well done.

My folks are in their 80s and have been married forever . People today dont have the metal it takes and are too self absorbed to have a marriage last more than 8 years . They dont have the Arthurian fortitude to keep a life promise to another person . Very sad , I envy all the old people I see that have kept their promise to their spouse after 30+ years . I pity those of us today that will never know .

I enjoyed it immensely.

Thank you for a happy story

First, she denies her husband what she, of all people, knows he needed and then when he finds a discrete outlet she blames and then punishes for 25 years. What a cunt.

Selfishness takes many forms. Yes, she gave after a fashion, but it was HER FAULT he had to go outside the marriage for sexual relief. AND, she NEVER let go of her selfishness.

How much effort would it have been to ACT likes she loved him. I would estimate no more than 30 - 45 minutes once or twice a week MAXIMUM. Less time than what is needed to cook many meals. All she had to do, really, was lay there and hold him while murmuring sweet nothings in his ear as he satisfied himself and made LOVE to her.

George was an idiot for putting up with her shit for 25 years. I guess love really is blind. It's too bad he lost so many years living with a woman who became effectively his maid and cook.

It's good that he found someone else and I hope she is still interested in sexual relations.

My wife passed away in 1981. I thought of taking my own then also, as in the story, I had a bottle, a gun and could not decide where to do the deed that would not cause a mess! PLUS we had a son that someone had to raise. My wife was very picky about keeping things clean, It was her keep it clean that stopped me from pulling the trigger. I have never remarried and have no desire to, I date but it isn't the same anymore. We had a son (he was 5 when his mom passed) that is now in his 30's and I have two wonderrful grandkids. I still miss my wife and think of her often to this day and thank her for saving my life. I realize what i would have missed had I pulled the trigger.

I am George. I tell my wife I have to go first because I won't be able to live without her. I pray the God takes me first. Thanks for this story.

Every story you write seems to me to be just right. I read other authors' stories and then come back to your story list and whatever I pick seems to have just the right touch. So here's another five!

The thing that makes this story, like many of your stories, hit the target is the simplicity of it. I sort of expected that Helen would come to the rescue, but that was all right because I wanted to see how it would come about. And when it did, there was no big deal, it was just like real life: simple, honest, and just right.

The paragraph expressing how the hero feels his grief is a masterpiece. I wish I could have written that. Beautifully done.

It is almost a rewrite of Age Difference.

Don't cheat. Consequences abound. Only in fiction is there a sister-in-law to love you in place of your beloved wife, who you betrayed with your affair. Stay true to your love. It gives you a better life.

Gloom, dispair, agony on me, deep dark depression and tragic misery. I think it was on the Buck Owens and Roy Clark show, or it might have been Hee Haw. But it's still 5 ***** quailty. The song goes on and on but life don't. Damn good story.

He disproved the once a cheater always a cheater idea - and still paid for a very LONG time.

She held it over him and made him suffer - and he took it - now she has made a way for him to live better.

Interesting story - good ending -

...you just hit the nail right on the head there !!

Loneliness is bad - but it's a feature of getting old,and at times it's so damn hard to live with - and not to be a miserable SOB...

We oldies should ALL have a Helen.....................as if !!

Thanks for a true story.

I'm going through it now. wife died 2 months ago, and I'm totally lost. as far as your feelings go, you couldn't have been any truer. I said most, if not all the things you said and thought. the holidays are now coming up, and I got a couple bottles of my favorite scotch. I hate to say it, but I end up crying more than I don't.

I loved the story, from an accuracy point of view. that being said, I must say I'm sorry for your loss.

I am not as old as you, but after watching my wife lose her fight with cancer I understand how you feel, my friend for courage is Jack Daniels. After the loss of your "chosen love" it is very lonely, at least you have someone else to help you out.

5*

After 43 years together I lost my loving wife to cancer. But through e-Harmony I met a widow who had been married for 40 years when she lost her husband. We have been together for 2 years and without her I don't know what I would have done.

He got more than he deserved. a loveless marriage for 20 years because HE KILLED it. helen was much more than he deserved. the bottle and gun 20 years ago was what he deserved...

His wife rejected him and cut him off from having sex before he had the affair. The wife caused him to have the affair. Only the wife can be blamed for the affair. A wife can't cutoff her husband from sex and expect him to remain chaste. Your comments are bullshit!

I read this around a year ago, and it still rings true.

I am surprised at the comments of late. It was never about the cheating that happened. They were still together, a mistake doesn't mean divorce necessarily. He was still in love with her, and she him. Did it play on their minds their entire life, yes it did, as it should. Why, because it hurt the other half of themselves. The story is about the feeling of loss, and inadequacies when a loved one passes, and there is nothing you can do.

When a plan goes wrong, you look at where the problem is and fix it, but when that wrong involves a loved one, other things enter into the picture. Sometimes people look at themselves, sometimes they look elsewhere.

All I can say, is nice story.

This story is depressing as hell, and I hate depressing stuff. If I want that I'll watch the 6 o'clock news on tv.

This would be my story but there is no Helen

Cheated long time ago, 25-30 years. Wife stopped physical relations with me.

Found out after her death from cancer she had one BFC and two girlfriends

You have given me a thought for this Christmas

Even more important was Love

An empty marriage, one without love, is an emotional desert.

I didn't see where Sophie tied down Nancy and tripped a naked George causing his pecker to slide into her juicy love canal. Shit, if she didn't hold a gun to his head and force him to fuck Nancy, the affair just isn't her fault.

Gosh some of you Anon's just don't get it. You need to live in a loveless marriage and walk in those shoes to understand. Yes, he FU'ed big time - his penitence was to do all he could (for life) to make it right and all Sophie could see was her right to make his life a living hell for his betrayal. Sophie lived for her vengeance that likely sent her to an early grave.

It takes more than liquid courage to pull that trigger - I know.

Shit happens in the Magic Kingdom.

There are some similarities to this story and my own life.

Right up to where he was taking care of his wife after being diagnosed with cancer.

There was no affair in my marriage but about 6 years ago my wife was waiting to meet one of her girlfriends at a local pub but her girlfriend never showed up. In the process of waiting on her some asshole we actually knew slipped a date rape drug in my wifes drink. It wasn't even 5 minutes later and she sat there with her head on the bar in a almost coma state if mind. The asshole told the bartender he knew her and would take her home. Yes he ended up raping her and about 4 or 5 hours later he was able to get her out of his truck in front of our house. She was still pretty much out of it untill the next day when she found her panties stuffed in her front pocket and felt soar. Then she realized what had happened to her. We where never able to prove what happened and the effect of this on my wife put her in a very dark place emotionally.

I'm not sure who but someone beat this guy about to death and he left town after that. The effect on my wifes emotional and mental status was so bad she hated even the thought of sex in any way. She did try over this last 6 years to make love to me and I can count the times on one hand. I continued to love and support my wife through this and even got her some therapy to help her overcome this terrible depression and anxiety this had caused for her. During this 6 year period my right hand and the internet bacame my sexual release. She was aware of what I was doing and understood why. We had conversations about this and I told her I could not go out and cheer on her. I could not live with that type of guilt. About 5 months ago she was diagnosed with stage 3b cervical cancer. She is fighting it with treatments but her health is declining and failing to no end. If she does beat this the odds of her ever being able to have intercourse are very unlikely. It would be to painfully. The radiation treatments have shrunk her up down there like she was a 5 year old kid. When you couple that with her prior issues with sex from the rape I think you can get thepicture. There is 18 years difference between us. She is 41 with a baby face and had a figure that would make any man turn his head twice. My wife is one very beautiful women. I'm a few months fro turning 60 but have maintained a good physical appearance and I'm in fairly good shape for a man of my age.

When I started to read this story as I stated the first half had a lot if similar points. At least from a emotional stance. I don't have a sister in law as George has in this story but I can relate on several levels what he is feeling. Guess I will just have to wait and see what Gods choices are for us. Maybe I will come back to this in 6 months or a year and finish telling my story.

You’re crying!

And, as good a one as they get.

You r story strike too close to home. My wife of 58 yrs just became 83 yrs old to my 79 yrs. and the sadness of his loneliness foretells the future of many of us old folks. Your glimps of what can be our future brought tears and relief to us.

Thank you for a different Christmas story, glad it had a happy ending!

Excepting everything from finding her cancer this could be my story.

The saddest but at the same time, the most loving story. Easily a five star rating.

BJ

Such a beautiful and haunting story. Thank you for writing this

an easy five star even if you ended it to soon

Pity she couldn't forgive him.

What a sad and loving story. It is a shame that Sophie couldn't find it in heart to forgive George. George repented but she really didn't forgive him until just before her death. She made him suffer for over 20 years no matter what he did, the only consolation was she told Helen to take care of her George and just in time she comes to his house when he was ready to eat his gun and saves the day by telling George she is there to stay if he wants her too. Well done, thank you for the happy ending. 5 stars

Nice Story !

THANKS !

DG, you nailed it!!! Beautiful story!!

Awww...

*****What's not to love about this fine story. Thanks for sharing.

If she couldn’t forgive him, she should have just divorced him. I suspect she had hit menopause and lost interest in sex before his affair.

I've been where George was, but it wasn't a death that caused it.

This is something I am not looking forward to, but that is what it is. After 54 years together one or the other will pass first leaving the other loved one alone. This story has really brought it home to me and I'm dreading it. A 5 star story, and thank you

another tear jerker . life isn't always neat and tidy .

At the wedding, everyone thinks of "happily ever after, forever", but it's not that way. Even in the most perfect marriages, one of you will die first and leave the other one behind. It doesn't matter if you were married 5 or 50 years, the feeling of loss is devastating. The only thing I can think of that might be worse is....when it happens the second time around.....

life is at times good and then bad . i didn't cheat,neither did my wife, but... in her mid '50's menopause hit my wife with a vengeance . from at least weekly sex to none at all . even worse it affected her physically too . the hot flashes and all that too . she went from being at least some what affectionate and cuddling at night in bed to no touching,hugging,or being cuddled in bed . i was too hot and couldn't be anywhere near her at night . i feel for this guy,not for the same reason as me ,but to go from a loving ,close relationship to almost strangers co-habiting is life altering . we just live together now, basically roommates and nothing more .

This brought up lessons to be learned / relearned. Additionally it also created numerous thoughts to Consider / Evaluate.

"The Realities Of Life" !

THANK YOU !