In the blink of an eye, he was gone. One second he was taking a breath and the next everyone realized it had been his last one. Watching him deteriorate was hard for everyone, but it was especially hard on Johnny.
At the age of 10, Johnny felt he was now considered the man of the house. He instinctively began to act older as if more weight was on his shoulders. When no one was looking he would put on his father’s old pair of work boots and for a moment he was the man he was pretending to be. (99 words)
Writing In The Deep 
9 responses to “Flash Fiction: The Boots Make Him a Man”
So sad but immensely beautiful.
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Heart-breaking but also filled with hope because of the kid’s positive attitude. Lovely story.
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Powerful. A story, repeated all too often. A young boy filling a man’s boots.
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A huge weight on the boy’s shoulders eased when he feels the heft of the boots he’s trying to fill. Beautifully written, Heather.
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[…] The Boots Make Him a Man by Heather Gonzales […]
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I’d like to think that Johnny’s story doesn’t reflect the norm but I’m afraid it does. Too many young children being forced to grow up much too soon. This was a very powerful story.
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Thank you. I wish it weren’t so. Children deserve to have a childhood.
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Lovely poignant tale. ❤
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Thank you
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